Harness the Sun: America`s Quest for a Solar-Powered Future, Warburg Philip

In Harness the Sun, Philip Warburg takes readers on a far-flung journey that explores Americas solar revolution. Beginning with his solar-powered home in New England, he introduces readers to the pioneers who are spearheading our move toward a clean energy economy. We meet the CEOs who are propelling solar power to prominence and the intrepid construction workers who scale our rooftops installing panels. We encounter the engineers who are building giant utility-scale projects in prime solar states like Nevada, Arizona, and California, and the biologists who make sure wildlife is protected at those sites.

Warburg shows how solar energy has won surprising support across the political spectrum. Prominent conservatives embrace solar power as an emblem of market freedom, while environmental advocates see it as a way to reduce Americas greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, economic-justice activists celebrate solars potential to lift up low-income communities, and Native American leaders welcome the income and jobs that the industry will bring to their communities.

Yet solar energy has its downsides and detractors too. Conservationists worry about the impact of large solar farms on protected animal species, and some local citizens groups resent the encroachment of solar projects on farmland and open spaces. Warburg gives voice to those at the epicenter of these conflicts and points the way to constructive solutions.