‘Our Planet Our Power': Earth Day and clean energy in Alabama
'The environment's for everybody,' said Earth Day Spokesperson Aidan Charron. 'Doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on, our mission still remains the same.'
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Charron said that Earth Day is a yearly reminder that we are all connected, and our natural resources are worth protecting.
'We rely on everything on our planet,' he said. 'The clean air we breathe is dependent on how we treat our planet. The food we eat depends on how well we treat our planet.'
This year, Earth Day's theme is 'Our Power Our Planet.' It alludes to the Earth Day Organization's goal to triple our use of clean and renewable energy by 2030.
Energy Alabama is a nonprofit that advocates for clean energy in Madison County. Executive Director Daniel Tait says there are misconceptions around renewable energy being expensive or inefficient, but it can be more affordable in the long run.
'Clean energy, things like solar and wind, even, and wind coupled with battery storage right now are cheaper than the fossil fuel plants, like coal and gas,' said Tait. 'If you've spent a summer in Alabama, you know that the sun is quite powerful, right? And then we also have batteries and other types of technologies to store that and use it for later, when the sun's light shining, so we know how to solve these problems from a reliability standpoint and from a cost standpoint.'
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant already supplies power to several different states, but Energy Alabama's goal is to have the state rely completely on clean energy by 2050.
Tait said that solar communities, or neighborhoods that draw from a communal solar grid, are a cost-effective way to use clean energy.
'It would take some legislation in order to allow that to be able to happen, but it would be a tremendously beneficial resource because it's extremely low cost and efficient and really gets the whole community working together towards the same goal,' he said.
Tait and Charron said that you can celebrate Earth Day by taking steps as small as turning off the lights when you leave a room, to contacting your utilities company or representatives to advocate for clean energy.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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