Jim Purekal, Solar, Washington, D.C.

Jim Purekal is a manager of policy and strategy at SunPower Corporation, and he lives in Washington, D.C. He’s been in the industry nearly 2 years.

Why is clean energy important to you? Access to clean energy can be the silver bullet to provide reliable electricity and a new standard of living for billions of people around the world. I grew up taking for granted the novelty of light switches, vehicles, stoves, heat, and television. I didn't care where the power came from, how much it cost, or who was harmed in the process, as long as I was getting what I needed and wanted. 

Until they came to the United States, my parents didn't have access to such luxuries in India's southernmost state of Kerala. Light was provided through gas lamps. There were no ambulances if there were medical emergencies. And a coal-burning stove — with a single burner — was used to heat water and cook meals for my father's family of seven within their two-room, 200 square foot shanty.

Things are different today. I want my five-year old daughter to one day experience energy freedom that isn't impacted by overseas conflicts, or whether we need to drill into the earth's surface. I want the energy of the future to have no impact on the climate, so we don’t leave the planet uninhabitable for my relatives on the other side of the globe.

What’s your proudest accomplishment in clean energy? So far, my proudest accomplishment involved aggressive work on a campaign to counter legislation in Florida that would have made it more difficult for working class Americans to access solar power to offset their home needs. The bill was thankfully vetoed by the governor of Florida because enough of his constituents relayed their strong opposition to the measure. I am hopeful this victory will impact policy initiatives in other parts of the country.

What did you do before entering clean energy? I was a helicopter pilot and officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

How did you first get introduced to clean energy? Through the Hiring our Heroes/Solar Ready Vets fellowship that I became eligible for during the last six months of my service. The fellowship allowed me to spend 12 weeks with a private company to better assist my transition out of the Marine Corps. SunPower became a sponsor of the program and offered me a full-time position at the end of the fellowship. I was lucky to find this company and be a part of meaningful work that is truly changing the way our world is powered.

How does clean energy impact your community? Clean energy is providing innovation and new options for how people live their lives. There are more electric vehicles than ever before, more homes with solar, cleaner air, more access to electric forms of public transportation, such as electric trains, trolleys and bicycles. Some of these patterns were unimaginable less than ten years ago; today, they are a reality.

What is something you wish more people knew about your job? We are in a race against the clock, and strong effective policy provides the pathway for clean energy implementation. Even though renewable energy like wind and solar have come down in cost over the last several years, they are still out of reach for millions of Americans. Policy is the key to setting goals and establishing targets. Policy also promotes the issuance of incentives and market drivers to help achieve those goals. Finally, countries need political will to devote more resources toward discovering new and innovative ways of increasing access to more efficient forms of clean energy. This is only achieved through effective policy channels.

Why should Congress invest in clean energy jobs, not fossil fuel jobs? Clean energy provides the pathway for true independence. Instead of relying upon outdated fossil fuel technology, our country may one day be able to harness enough clean energy to power our world for the foreseeable future. I imagine a world where no one is deprived of access to light, air conditioning, heat, and transportation. This type of energy is present today, but we lack the will to invest in enough research and development to capture this power and bring it to mature levels of utility.
I also imagine a world where we will no longer need to remain tethered to hostile regimes in foreign regions purely because they control the means to fuel our energy needs. Clean energy provides real freedom and the ability to make policy decisions that truly represent the ideals of this country.

Finally, clean energy can be the foundation for a vibrant and enduring economy, providing high-paying jobs for millions of Americans for the foreseeable future. We have a long way to go, but Congressional action today can finally move us down a path we should have started decades ago.