Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Abby Hopper responded to SolarWakeup’s reporting on its courting of utilities to become members of the association in an email to its board of directors:
Dear Board of Directors:
Many of you have read this morning’s Solar Wakeup, which focused on our discussions about new means for working with utilities, and our deliberations on the ownership of Solar Power International (SPI).
As to the SPI angle, in 2016, the board discussed options including buying SEPA out, selling to SEPA, or keeping things the same, and everything in between. After much consideration and consultation, we concluded that an extension of the existing relationship was the right business decision.
On utilities, as you recall during our February board meeting, I suggested we evaluate our relationship with the utilities and our best way to engage with them. Because of the low cost of solar, utilities are adopting our technology much faster than anyone anticipated. As an association, we must chart a path that acknowledges that reality and accounts for it in our business and advocacy planning. That calculation MUST carve out an aggressive position that allows rooftop solar to thrive in a significant way.
I want to be clear that there isn’t a proposal on the table. We want to engage with you about our options. We don’t have to sell our board to the Investor Owned Utilities, but we would like to consider ways we can bring them to the table. This is an early exploration into this idea and we would need to gauge utility interest as well.
What we do know is that digging our heels in and not adapting to rapid changes in our industry is not a recipe for success. An insular approach with a narrow definition of solar success is not the right path forward.
We have a multi-faceted plan for evolving this trade association. The board will decide what elements of the plan we should pursue, and which we shouldn’t. I’d ask that in the spirit of our commitment as board members that you keep these deliberations confidential and that you keep an open mind.
Together we thrive and divided we fail. While we respect the authors and their point of view, this article does not lay out a recipe for the future success of SEIA or the industry. Our plan is to find the path that does.
Thank you for your continued support,
Abigail Ross Hopper
President and CEO
SEIA
