Asterisks and Advances
We officially kicked-off our IREC@35 year with a tremendously successful event in Washington, DC, March 8th. It was an extraordinary evening with IREC friends, supporters and partners during which we reveled in our collective achievements, acknowledged the challenges ahead, and celebrated the legendary accomplishments of our dear friend and respected colleague, IREC President Emeritus Jane Weissman.
We also had the pleasure of honoring two distinctive 2017 IREC Energy Heroes: U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY), each of whom has a long career of championship for clean energy technology, jobs and a clean energy economy.
We released a new report the same day, IREC IMPACT@35, which highlights the top 8 results of IREC’s impactful work over more than three decades, along with a complementary Impact@35 Timeline. Inside the report, you’ll see evidence of IREC’s transformational work in regulatory arenas in nearly every state, and our national leadership in clean energy workforce development, historically and today.
Throughout this year and beginning with this report, we celebrate the fact that clean energy systems are no longer small asterisks at the edge of the electricity grid. They are now central to the efficient operation of the complete grid, representing 61 percent of all new electric generating capacity brought online in 2016.
Today’s remarkable successes – just dreams 35 years ago – propel us forward, more determined than ever to protect our progress and advance our goals. The current environment in which we operate is simply another obstacle. We’ve spent 35 years breaking through barriers. Thank you for your support and partnership as we tackle our next challenges with the same level of determination and fact-based ammunition as history tells us will succeed.
