Senator Fran Pavley and Assembly Member Das Williams Recognized for their work to promote solar energy through public policy
Sacramento – August 10, 2016 - At its annual Solar Worker Lobby Day, the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) honored two California legislators for their outstanding work to promote the use of solar energy through public policy.
Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) and Assembly Member Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) were honored with a “Life-time Achievement” award before a crowd of solar workers and executives from around the state who had gathered in Sacramento to lobby state legislators about the importance of solar energy in creating jobs, saving consumers money, and providing energy solutions throughout the state.
“The emergence of California’s solar industry as a meaningful source of reliable and clean electricity has depended largely on the vision and hard work of policy makers, like Senator Pavley and Assembly member Williams, who have fought long and hard to give consumers the ability to change the direction of our energy future one roof at a time,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of CALSEIA. “Our hundreds of businesses and over 75,000 employees owe these two leaders a life-time of gratitude for their outstanding policy work over many years.”
A CALSEIA Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Senator Fran Pavley along with recognition of her pioneering work to cap carbon emissions and advance alternative energy technologies, including solar panels as well as zero-pollution vehicles.
“One of the most gratifying outcomes of my work in the Legislature on clean energy over the last fourteen years has been the phenomenal success of California’s solar industry,” said Senator Fran Pavley in accepting her award. “You’ve proved what we’ve always said was possible: We can clean our environment and create jobs at the same time. More than 75,000 solar industry workers in this state are proving that the power of the sun is shining brightly on California’s economy -- to the benefit of consumers, healthy communities and the families of tens of thousands of skilled and dedicated workers. While I am gratified by your recognition of my work in the legislature, I am much more gratified by the tremendous contributions your industry and its workers are making every day to make California a healthier and more prosperous state.”
A CALSEIA Lifetime Achievement award was also presented to Assembly member Das Williams who was an early promoter of rooftop solar policies, authoring bills intended to increase consumer access to sunshine-generated electricity.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award from CALSEIA,” said Assembly member Das Williams. “In fifty years our children and grandchildren will evaluate whether to curse or praise us based on what we did or failed to do about climate change and clean energy. More than anything else during my career in the assembly, I have pushed both legislatively and administratively to ensure that California has a brighter and cleaner future by fighting for aggressive renewable energy goals and efficient permitting for small and large solar projects around the state. Together, we have made a difference for our state’s future.”
CALSEIA presented each of the honorees with a tee-shirt that read “Keep Calm and Solar On” and a solar-powered charging device for portable technologies. Senator Pavley and Assembly Member Williams are termed out in 2016. Both leave behind an outstanding track record of promoting clean solutions.