The Solar Advocates Project uniquely allows Third Actors to have an actual hands-on role in working with solar developers at the local level to remove barriers and accelerate the rapid transition to solar energy.
The Solar Advocates Project mobilizes informed cadres of Third Actors within their communities to support specific solar and battery storage projects where local support can be make-or-break—notably at hearings and meetings where supporters can show up and influence the outcome. Other points of input might be Rotary Clubs, faith-based creation care committees, and house parties.
Third Act Working Groups organize regional cadres of Third Act volunteers for training on how to present factual information to local officials and their communities about the economic and environmental benefits of siting solar energy generation and battery storage systems within a given community.
The unique aspect of this project is the inter-relationships with solar industry trade associations, project developers, and elders within the host communities.
The Goal
Mobilize and present effective grassroots advocacy for permitting specific community solar, utility-scale solar, and battery storage projects.
The Need
The fossil-fuel industry and investor-owned utilities, through national organizations like Citizens for Responsible Solar, are backing well organized local opposition groups to delay or stop solar developments.
This opposition often results in municipalities enacting permanent bans or temporary moratoria on solar and battery projects or restrictive zoning regulations that act as de facto bans. More commonly, municipal planning and zoning boards deny land-use permits based on arbitrary, capricious, or non-technical reasons, such as generalized community opposition.
Further, delays in municipal approval of a solar or battery project directly increase the cost of the project. Direct cost increases come from higher carrying costs for staff and consultants, site control expenses, and lost revenue. Delays may result in termination of agreements for land, grid interconnection, and power purchase.
Our Framework
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State-based cadres of solar advocates:
Third Act Working Groups organize local teams of volunteers with diverse skills including:
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- research
- presenting to civic groups, municipal boards and elected officials
- writing letters of support to municipal boards
- social media outreach
- writing letters to local newspapers.
Regional cadres often include volunteers from Sierra Club, Climate Reality Project and other solar advocacy groups.
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Pro-solar narrative:
In collaboration with Greenlight America and other strategic partners and the project developer, volunteers present a positive, community-centric narrative – preferably before a negative NIMBY narrative takes hold in a community. Emphasis is given on tailoring messages to local conditions to identify and articulate critical community benefits that come with the project and to counter misinformation and disinformation.
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Strategic partnerships with solar industry associations:
Solar industry associations identify critical projects and contact Third Act to mobilize and present effective grassroots advocacy. These partnerships include the state affiliates of the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Coalition for Community Solar Access for community solar projects and Greenlight America for utility-scale solar and battery storage projects; also, individual developers such as Community Power Group and eDF renewables.
- Implementation: Third Act contacts the Third Act Working Group which then mobilizes regional cadres of solar advocates to work with the project developer.
Explore the Actions and Blogs below page for more information on how to get involved
