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American Clean Power (ACP) blast onto the clean energy scene in a flurry of press releases back in 2021 as the presumptive heir to the AWEA throne, a 40-year reign that included many of the stalwart sustainable energy policies we all rely on today like the famed Production Tax Credit (PTC) that gave the Wind industry much of its staying power. AWEA indeed carved the path many in renewables believe they are blazing themselves, so when the trade association decided to rebrand, many of us took note. Even more potent, with Solar Power International being cancelled in September, CleanPower stood as the only large-scale renewables conference to attempt to “bring all the clean energy players under one tent” in person in 2021, so we decided it was Definitely worth making the trip to Salt Lake City and seeing if we could get a sense of what this new entity was going to look like in the wild. And, Nico figured if he’s lucky he’d get a chance to interview the new CEO of ACP, Heather Zichal. And he struck gold.
Launched at the start of 2021, the American Clean Power Association is a new trade association unifying the wind, solar, storage and transmission companies that are driving jobs and investment in the U.S. economy and providing solutions to the climate crisis.
Many of you will recognize is as “the AWEA rebrand” or something along those lines, but I believe it’s much more than a simple rebrand.
From their website: The American Clean Power Association works to champion policies that will transform the U.S. power grid to a low-cost, reliable and renewable power system. By uniting the power of wind, solar, transmission and storage companies, along with manufacturers and construction companies, developers and owners/operators, utilities, financial firms and corporate purchasers, their goal is to make renewables the dominant energy source in the United States.
And, as of July, American Clean Power Association (ACP) and the U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA) agreed to merge their staff, programs, and members into ACP!
The three areas Nico explored in this live interview with CEO Heather Zichal:
1. The ACP brand and what exactly it encompasses
2. Their messaging to the broader solar industry, specifically, coming from “the former wind association”
3. The acquisition of the Energy Storage Association and it’s implications
First up, the rebrand of AWEA to American Clean Power association:
- Who fits under the tent.
- What does that embody?
- What's the message to the clean energy industries that you want to attract?
- And what's the message to legislators and capital hill in terms of the important themes for 2022?
Up next, What message does Heather have for the solar industry at-large?
One of the biggest poles in the tent of clean energy is solar. But solar advocacy was not a huge component of the traditional wind industry association. Yet, a lot of wind developers have migrated to our integrated solar and a lot of solar developers are partnering on wind projects and storage.
So, what message do they have for the solar industry specifically about their role in American Clean Power? And what’s the vision for integrating the solar installers, EPCs, developers etc into American Clean Power as an association?
And lastly, ESA just had their last independent tradeshow the week prior to CleanPower21 before they are integrated into ACP…so what should people expect now?
The Energy Storage Association (ESA) has been loved by many as a standalone association representing storage developers. And recently, both the wind and solar industries have migrated to energy storage recognizing it as a necessary component, some would even say Linchpin, in fully divesting of fossil fuels for renewables.
What message does ACP have all have for those participating in December’s final ESA conference and those who will now join ACP to be a part of that organization in the broader umbrella of clean energy?
How will ACP address those concerned that becoming a part of a larger association Diminishes the focus on storage?
A bonus I didn’t get to ask, but was on my mind and I may circle back to in a future episode…
Who specifically does ACP envision as the constituents and community that make up their association as they seek to create a broad tent and strong lobby for our industry and our initiatives? Many have billed it as the “Utility-scale Association” - is that true? I asked about DG, but I think time will tell.
Will you be in San Antonio in May for CleanPower22?
I will.
CleanPower 2022:
San Antonio, TX
May 16 to May 18, 2022
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.