In 2015, Uber has been enthusiastically courted by Republicans and Democrats alike. The courtship is full of pandering and policy points from both ends of the spectrum. Right now, a candidate’s position on Uber and the “gig economy” acts as a useful (and easy) way for the media to gauge how “innovative” and “forward-looking” a candidate might be. However, in the wings there lies another industry which could also attract some wooing.

The solar industry.

Why solar? Here are three reasons why I think presidential candidates in both parties will soon start to court the solar industry in the 2016 elections:

#1 reason solar will become a hot political topic: Like Uber, the solar industry is an underdog in its respective sector. Solar embodies the fabled free market disruption that politicians love to tout. After all, sticking it to “the man” is one of America’s favorite pastimes. And that’s exactly what solar is doing. According to the Washington Post, top utility execs held a retreat where they warned each other that their “industry must prepare an action plan to address the challenges” of solar’s growing influence.

But Americans aren’t feeling much sympathy for the utility industry. Like taxis, the utility industry is seen as the “status quo” power which is holding back true innovation. Listen to the language of David K. Owens, an Executive VP for Edison Electric Institute, who had this to say about solar’s disruption and what it means for utility companies:

It’s not about profits; it’s about protecting customers. There are unreasonable cost shifts that do occur [with solar]. There is a grid that everyone relies on, and you have to pay for that grid and pay for that infrastructure.

Are you scared yet? No, you’re probably not, because although we certainly do “rely on” the utility industry, “relying on” anything isn’t a convincing argument for not trying a new approach. That’s why even 7 out of 10 Republicans support tax incentives for the solar industry. They want alternatives, like consumers wanted with their taxi services. Hence, it makes sense for politicians to actively embrace the disruptive qualities of the solar industry. It makes them look free market friendly, while also championing a pioneering sector.

SIDE NOTE: It is for this reason that I was interested (and surprised) to see that Jeb! has announced that he will end all tax incentives for all energy sectors: solar, oil, gas…you name it. On the face of it, that’s as “free market” as you can get. But that is largely an ahistorical perspective. Oil and gas have been given decades of help from the government, while renewable industry is new to this favorable treatment. I suppose it’s a way for him to look progressive while ultimately keeping solar behind the eight ball. But still, with a large majority of Republicans supporting solar’s tax incentives, it appears to be a peculiar political calculation – much like his talk of reforming Medicare, as Goldy wrote last week. SIDE NOTE OVER.

#2 reason solar will become a hot political topic: Americans love saving money – especially in today’s anxious economy. And guess what? The infatuation with the solar industry is mostly driven by the hope of a smaller utilities bill. In fact, 64 percent of Americans say that their main motivation to install a solar system would be to receive a smaller energy bill. Compare that to just 35 percent who would do so for environmental reasons.

Just recently, Van Jones wrote an op-ed on CNN which observed that Americans are very aware of the cost-saving benefits of solar, arguing that this was a major reason why “solar installations increased almost 80 percent in 2014.”

#3 reason solar will become a hot political topic: The solar industry is adding jobs – fast. As a matter of fact, solar jobs grew 10 times faster than the economy’s overall job rate in the last year. With these sorts of numbers, it is unsurprising that Hillary is calling for a 700% increase in solar capacity by the end of her first term (18 gigawats today to 140 gigawatts in 2020, duh).

Jobs and growth will most likely be the defining themes of the 2016 election. Thus, it makes sense to support an industry where you can achieve incredible job growth and stimulate a new, promising sector. It’s a win-win for politicians and I would be very surprised if both Republicans and Democrats do not openly embrace the disruptive and prolific nature of solar.

It is for these three reasons that I believe that we will soon be seeing politicians fight for the hand of solar. It’s inevitable that at some point the media will become bored with the “Uber economy” talking points and decide to sensationalize/politicize an industry that is hip, booming and full of promise. Solar is sitting in the wings, ready to soak up the limelight.

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