Bernadette Del Chiaro, California Solar Energy Industry Association:
Creating a future where solar power is "as common as a toaster oven"
Bernadette Del Chiaro advocates for California's 54,000 solar industry workers. When she took the reins at the California Solar Energy Industry Association (CALSEIA), she tripled the organization's membership, doubled its budget, and expanded its staff nearly three-fold. This is in addition to winning policy to expand solar in California. Prior to joining CALSEIA, Bernadette led the citizen-based environmental advocacy organization Clean Energy and Global Warming Programs at Environment California. Her advocacy from 2002 to 2013 pushed for all of California's major clean energy initiatives. Bernadette's leadership was instrumental in winning the Million Solar Roofs Initiative (SB 1), the California Solar Initiative, the Solar Water Heating Initiative (AB 1470), the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), and state and local level renewable portfolio standards.
The President's Clean Power plan and other commitments to climate action such as California's mandatory cap on climate change pollutants are critical to the continued expansion of clean energy technologies. These measures send clear signals to the marketplace that clean energy technologies are a priority for our nation and the most powerful engines for change. Ultimately, we are working to overcome one hundred years of policy support for dirty energy resources. Goals, mandates, and incentives for renewable energy like solar power help to level the playing field and give consumers real choice in their energy future.