Eric Planey, Solar, Massachusetts

Eric Planey is CEO at SolaBlock, Inc. and works in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He’s been in the industry for 1 years.

Why is clean energy important to you? I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. After World War II, it was the 4th largest steel-making city in the world. Remember Springsteen’s line: "Those Smokestacks reached up like the arms of God into a beautiful sky of soot and clay.” And I lived in China, so I’ve seen what pollution has done to this world first hand. And I truly believe climate volatility from fossil fuels are destroying this planet.

What’s your proudest accomplishment in clean energy? When Massachusetts and the city of Pittsfield granted us our incentive package to locate in Pittsfield. It was a sign of validation.

What did you do before entering clean energy? I was a banker and economic development official.

How did you first get introduced to clean energy? My formal path started in 2015 when I was a part of NYU's first certificate program in clean energy finance.

How does clean energy impact your community? I am fortunate to live in New York and work in Massachusetts. They’re 2 of the 5 most proactive clean energy states in the U.S. As a result, we are seeing job creation first hand!

What is something you wish more people knew about your job? SolaBlock is setting up our first factory in Pittsfield, Mass, a city abandoned by GE Plastics after years of unleashing environmental damage. With clean energy, a Rust Belt, challenged city is making a comeback.. And with clean energy, I am working to leave the world in a better place than when I found it.

Why should Congress invest in clean energy jobs, not fossil fuel jobs? We need to be looking forward, not backward. We need to restore manufacturing jobs, and the clean energy supply chain is THE way to do that. Congress should realize: Energy policy is economic policy.