On September 21, communities across the United States will gather for Sun Day — a coordinated day of action calling for more solar, wind, and renewable energy. With more than 300 events already registered, the campaign is uniting schools, faith communities, farmers, frontline neighborhoods, and clean energy advocates in a powerful display of public support.

To understand the goals and momentum behind Sun Day, Bioneers spoke with Deborah Moore, Campaign Strategist at Third Act, the organization spearheading the initiative. In this conversation with Bioneers President Teo Grossman, Moore shares how Sun Day is mobilizing people in red, blue, and purple states alike, why local and state policies matter, and how anyone — from homeowners to renters, from elders to youth — can plug in to the clean energy transition.

Teo Grossman, Bioneers: How many Sun Day events are currently planned, and what kinds of activities are people organizing?

Deborah Moore, Third Act: Check out sunday.earth/events and see the map of all the events! As of September 8, there are 325 events in 44 states, and there are still more getting added every day. It’s not too late to join an event or host one of your own, even a small one. There are all kinds of events, big and small: from larger Sun Day festivals and educational fairs to smaller individual solar home tours. You could invite some neighbors over to check out your solar panels or electric vehicle, heat pump, or induction stove. Or host a book group reading of a book about solar, or watch a movie. You could host a rally at your town’s city hall, calling on local decision-makers to streamline solar permitting and make it easier to get small-scale plug-in solar.

Teo: What impact are you hoping to achieve through this day of action?

Deborah: For Sun Day, we want to visibly and vocally show decision-makers that Americans everywhere want solar, wind, and renewable energy. We want to demonstrate this public support in red states, blue states, and purple states, and we’ve got amazing and varied partners, from Sierra Club to New York Solar Energy Industries Association, from GreenFaith to NAACP Greater Grand Rapids, from Women’s March to Solar United Neighbors.

There is a lot we can do to scale up and speed up the building of more solar, wind, and batteries that will make electricity cheaper, more reliable, cleaner, and less polluting. Sun Day is an opportunity to shine a light on the solutions we have in hand right now and to build big, broad, and varied public support to advance these solutions. There are all kinds of events showcasing this variety of solutions and community support: schools, churches, and temples with solar; farmers with solar; affordable housing with solar; renters and homeowners with solar; businesses large and small with solar; clean energy workers working towards a just transition; states that have passed “instant solar permitting” and “balcony solar” laws; communities on the frontlines of climate impacts building “resilience hubs” with solar and batteries; electric cars and trucks that are driving on sunshine, and so much more.

Teo: The global momentum for clean energy is undeniable, but U.S. policy has shifted dramatically in the past year. In this challenging environment, what messages are most important to share, and what actions can people take?

Deborah: While it is challenging, we know that the majority of Americans of all political backgrounds support clean energy. As advocates and organizers, we need to better connect with these varied people and communities, mobilize them to show their support more visibly and vocally, and take action to support smart clean energy policies.

There are still many things we can do at the local and state levels to both accelerate clean energy projects and stop dirty energy projects. For example, due in part to byzantine permitting processes, solar energy is three times more expensive in the U.S. than in Europe. We can streamline these permitting processes at the local and state level and make rooftop and small-scale plug-in solar easier and cheaper to adopt. Soon, we’ll be promoting a petition calling on mayors and local leaders to streamline solar permitting, and after Sun Day, people can get to work delivering the petition to mayors and working to implement these changes.

Here are some other ways to get involved in the next week:

• Webinar – Invest in the Sun: How your dollars can fund renewable energy, September 16, 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET: On Tuesday, September 16, just before Sun Day, let’s talk about bringing a little more sunshine into our finances by investing directly in solar energy projects. Hosted by Third Act Upstate NY and Climatize, you can learn how you can invest in crowd-sourced solar projects for as little as $10 and open an account with Clean Energy Credit Union for as little as $25. 
• Public Hype Call for Sun Day – September 15: Join us for a movement-wide call on Monday, September 15th, as we get ready for Sun Day! We’ll be joined by movement leaders and clean energy champions to talk about the incredible impact we’ll create together through hundreds of events on Sun Day. We’ll also share final reminders and last-minute tips for Sun Day event hosts and make sure you have everything you need to hold an incredible Sun Day gathering.

Teo: What’s next, and how can people stay engaged past September?

Deborah: Sun Day is a moment in growing a larger movement to rise up for clean energy and a healthy future. After Sun Day, we invite folks to plug in — literally and figuratively — to the ongoing clean energy campaigns of all the Sun Day partners and beyond. Sign up for the Sun Day mailing list, and you’ll receive all the information about Sun Day and other actions you can take. If you are an elder American, you can join us at Third Act and take action after Sun Day as we ramp up our local, state, and federal advocacy.