The Choices We Make

by Peter Schaab, Volunteer and Training Coordinator, GRID Alternatives Central Coast

Our future is determined in large part by the choices we make every day both large and small. If all we’ve done as a society has been to dirty our air with factories and power plants, we can choose cleaner methods of energy production. If we’ve hit a rough patch in our personal lives, we can choose to fight despair with education and mental discipline. A recent event in the Central Coast brought two groups together that made those better choices which point a way towards a brighter future for us all.

Topaz Solar Farm, located about one hour east of San Luis Obispo, hosted an educational event for the Grizzly Academy, a charter high school operated by the California National Guard. The Solar Farm is currently the largest permitted solar photovoltaic power plant in the world with a planned output of 550 megawatts. Grizzly Cadets, ranging from 16-19 years old, voluntarily enroll in the Academy after either dropping out or falling seriously behind in traditional high school. Maria Kelly, Community Relations Specialist at MidAmerican Solar (the owner of Topaz Solar Farm) organized a tour and presentation that introduced almost 100 Cadets to the plentiful career choices in the solar industry. They saw the sheer enormity of the plant from its 9 million thin film solar panels to its over 600 construction staff working diligently to connect them to the electrical grid that powers homes and businesses throughout California.

What drove home the personal meaning of such a large infrastructure project were presentations by staff from MidAmerican Solar and First Solar (developer of the project). Safety Manager Sandy Dodge and Project Manager Gary Hood recalled their career paths and the smart choices they made that led them to gainful employment in a noble and critical industry. Sandy's career traveling the country showed how one could have stable employment and a little adventure too. Gary’s Navy experience caught the attention of the Cadets who were considering entering the military and wondering what lives may await them at the end of their service. Both emphasized how much the solar and utility industries need new talent to meet the demands of the future. I was honored to represent GRID Alternatives during the presentation to show how Cadets can start building solar skillsets right now on one of our installations. Much of what is learned on a GRID Alternatives project is closely related to the methods and technologies used at facilities like Topaz Solar Farm. It certainly didn’t hurt that one of the Cadet’s mentors, Ken Miles, has been volunteering with our Central Coast office and could personally attest to the benefits of joining us on an installation. His enthusiasm was contagious: multiple Cadets immediately signed up to volunteer after the event.

The event at Topaz Solar Farm made a sizable impact on me and I’m sure it did for the Cadets as well. It was so inspiring to see a large human-engineered project with a positive impact being built in our backyard. And watching the eyes light up on individuals that just a few months ago were heading towards failure gives me hope that there will be plenty of people in the future that will be working to build more such projects. Of course it’s up to them to decide what to do next, but I have faith that they’ll make the right choice.