Noelle Paige, Solar, Virginia
Noelle Paige, who has been in the industry for 7 years, is the Vice President of Onyx Renewable Partners and lives in VA.
Why is clean energy important to you? I grew up in Pensacola, Florida where the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill happened in 2010. This was my last summer in Pensacola before moving to Chicago and I witnessed our jobs, tourism, and community struggle immensely because of this disaster. We need to diversify procurement of energy and prioritize clean energy sources to prevent horrendous events like that happening again.
What’s your proudest accomplishment in clean energy? Being a manager. I absolutely love managing and have so much pride when my team succeeds. I took a leadership position that was a huge leap in responsibility for me 18 months ago and the fact I train and advocate for others keeps me incredibly motivated each day. I am so excited to be mentoring the future generations of clean energy.
What did you do before entering clean energy? Professional ballet dancer.
When were you first introduced to clean energy? Other than witnessing the BP oil spill in my hometown and recognizing the need for change; graduate school is where I studied sustainable policies and renewables. I was a member of a sustainability academic institute and prioritized getting into an industry that represented those values. I earned my Masters of Public Administration and started working with a solar developer within weeks of graduating.
What should more people know about your role? That everything is for the broader goal of reliable infrastructure. While we’re forecasting revenues or pursuing land diligence, we always have that big picture in mind.
How does clean energy impact your community? It's diversifying and strengthening infrastructure, and providing options for the people when it comes to their energy sources.
What does clean energy mean to you and your family? It means that I go to work knowing I am working to protect the environment and modernize an outdated grid. I have the utmost respect for what I do and therefore my family does as well.
Why should Congress invest in clean energy jobs, not fossil fuel jobs? Because this is the industry that is growing; we are not on a sustainable trajectory with the potential for growth versus labor. We need people of almost every discipline to join this effort, thus clean energy has the potential to create so many diverse and meaningful jobs.
