Policy Chats - California Secretary of State Shirley Weber: A Career in Public Service

Nov 20, 2023

Solar Energy & Storage: The Key to a Sustainable Future

In this episode, Executive Director of the California Storage and Solar Association Bernadette Del Chiaro talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the importance of solar energy and storage, as well as how they are essential to a sustainable future. About Bernadette Del Chiaro: After completing her Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, Bernadette Del Chiaro went on to work as an organizer for Green Corps. She later worked at the Toxics Action Center and Environment California and Environment America as a director, before joining the California Solar and Storage Association in 2013. Since joining, Bernadette has built the organization into the largest clean energy business group in the state. She's authored several clean energy reports and has been quoted widely in the media including MSNBC, NPR, BBC, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and dozens of local and trade outlets. Learn more about Bernadette Del Chiaro via https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernadette-del-chiaro-7598706/ Podcast Highlights: “There's really nothing as abundant as solar energy and the sun's energy. It is just the single most abundant natural carbon free resource on the planet... So we've already figured it out. The question is just how do we deploy it as quickly as possible and get it in the hands of everybody so that we can solve climate change sooner than later. So to really put it more bluntly, we can't solve climate change without solar energy. It is that important and it's that foundational to our clean energy future.” - Bernadette Del Chiaro on the importance and abundance of solar energy, and how we have the resources we need to create a sustainable future. “And if you boil down climate change, which sometimes can seem like a pretty complex issue, it really comes down to one simple thing, which won't be easy, but is moving off of fossil fuels and to do that as quickly and with as little disruption to our society as possible.” - Bernadette Del Chiaro on the simplicity of the approach we need to take on climate change. “There's a lot of things that local governments can do to make [the change to solar] faster. There's a software that the Department of Energy has developed where every single building in America can tap into that software for free and provide instantaneous permitting. So, you don't have to literally drive down to the permitting office with a piece of paper anymore. You can just use your computer, you enter in some information and out spits the permit, the permission to go build your solar system. That kind of thing is really groundbreaking, but we need all of our California cities and counties to actually adopt it” - Bernadette Del Chiaro on the statewide developments that increase accessibility to solar panel permitting. Guest: Bernadette Del Chiaro (Executive Director, California Solar and Storage Association) Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador) Watch to the video version here: https://youtu.be/zDUQdgemXPk Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Links: Considering a Career in International Public Service with Mayor General Barrye Price Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 - 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. In-Person Watch Party at HUB 355 (free pizza, boba, and a book for in-person attendees) or via Zoom Webinar To attend the in-person watch party, please RSVP via: spp-price.eventbrite.com To attend the online webinar, please RSVP via:bit.ly/spp-price https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpphttps://spp.ucr.edu/mpp This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

31 min