Meghan Milo, Solar, Virginia
Meghan Milo, who has been in the industry for 3 years, is the Curriculum and Instruction Lead at Sun Tribe Solar and lives in Virginia.
Why is clean energy important to you? Climate change is the most critical challenge of our time and we have no time to waste. The good news is: we have the technology to keep our lights on and protect our atmosphere. Now it’s up to us to make it happen.
What’s your proudest accomplishment in clean energy? I was supporting a middle school group that participated in a wind and solar challenge. One of the female students said, “I thought it was going to be a lot of boys but then I looked around and saw a bunch of girls and was like: Yes! Girls are the future!”. I hope to continue to help all kinds of students see that they have a place in clean energy.
What did you do before entering clean energy? I have a varied career history, but working with schools has been a common thread. Prior to working in solar for schools, I worked for an engineering firm specializing in green school design, and I also taught middle school math for five years.
When were you first introduced to clean energy? My introduction started in elementary school. Our class made pizza in a homemade solar thermal oven made from cardboard and tinfoil (and ate the slices the ants didn’t get to first!) Later, in college, I took a course called “Designing a Sustainable Future” which drove home the interconnectedness of clean energy, energy efficiency, policy, and financing.
What should more people know about your role? There’s not a “catch” to transitioning to clean energy! And it doesn’t always cost more. We help schools save money and protect against rising utility rates – all while creating new educational opportunities for students.
How does clean energy impact your community? Clean energy is reducing our carbon footprint, stabilizing energy rates for our schools, and diversifying and modernizing our energy resources. I have seen first-hand how clean energy projects can create new opportunities for workforce development and bring pride to communities.
What does clean energy mean to you and your family? I wake up with purpose every morning, knowing that I’m working toward smart solutions for our communities, our planet, and my children’s future.
Why should Congress invest in clean energy jobs, not fossil fuel jobs? It’s our future, plain and simple. It’s especially important to make sure those communities that have supplied us with reliable energy in the past are equipped to contribute to our clean energy economy in the future.
