Book research continues (#WeTookTheRisk) and I was lucky to interview Scott Sklar the day before Thanksgiving for a lively and never dull conversation about Washington, DC & national renewables policies from 1970 to 2010. He co-founded the Solar Caucus on Capitol Hill in the mid-1970s while serving as a military & energy aid to Senator Jacob Javits (R-NY) and later on built his career up to concurrently serve for 15 years as Executive Director to the Solar Energy Industries Association and the National Bioenergy Industries Association.
He’s been through the twist and turns of the policy world, having actively worked on bills ranging from Clean Air Act to PURPA, and during his time in Washington, saw the industry grow from an entrepreneurial venture to the mainstream industry we have today.
“We got beat up all the time, but those of us that went through it are all close friends. I mean, it’s like being in the military in a war. We were in a war of ideas, a war of energy access and a war for energy democracy,” said Scott.
