Alison Adams, Solar, Oregon
Alison Adams, who has been in the industry for 17 years, is the Sr. Business Development Manager at SOLV Energy and lives in Oregon.
Why is clean energy important to you? Transitioning our energy infrastructure is the single biggest challenge we can solve to combat climate change. I want my children and future generations to know this planet as I did.
What’s your proudest accomplishment in clean energy? The network of wonderful people I've been able to build out. There's a lot of good energy in this industry and I've yet to meet a bad apple. It's a pleasure and an honor to collaborate with so many passionate, bright people who want to be part of the solution as well.
What did you do before entering clean energy? I came into solar straight out of college. I knew I wanted to "save the planet." Clean energy felt like the biggest bang for the buck.
When were you first introduced to clean energy? Studying abroad in Germany, I saw wind turbines on the hills and solar panels on the train station and buildings downtown. It was the first time I had seen these technologies in common practice and it was such an ah-ha moment.
What should more people know about your role? I like to say I'm a professional friend maker. When I came to sales, I was a bit uncertain as "sales" made me think of pushy used car salesmen, but I realized sales and business development is about relationship building and solving people's problems.
How does clean energy impact your community? Clean Energy is helping to create jobs, clean the air, the water, and reduce the impacts of climate change. We have to deal with drought, wildfires, and smoke in my community. It's nice to know my work is lessening those impacts.
What does clean energy mean to you and your family? I go to work every day knowing I'm part of the solution. When I hear doom and gloom headlines about climate change, I joke that I'm working on it! It gives me peace of mind knowing I'm helping to turn the tide and building a new energy infrastructure that will sustain my children and all of humanity.
Why should Congress invest in clean energy jobs, not fossil fuel jobs? We can create jobs, stimulate the economy and improve people's lives without the externalities that come back to haunt us.
