NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • March 16, 2023
Citizens for Responsible Solar was founded by Susan Ralston. She was special assistant to former President George W. Bush. Ralston jumped into solar fights in 2019. She tapped operatives who worked behind the scenes with some of the most powerful people in conservative politics to help set up and run Citizens for Responsible Solar. A consulting firm she owns got almost $300,000 from the foundation of GOP donor Paul Singer. Singer's investment firm is the top shareholder in a major coal company. Ronald Meyers, who studies siting issues around renewable energy at Virginia Tech, says people often have valid concerns about solar plants. They can hurt communities if they're poorly planned and built. But Meyers says Citizens for Responsible Solar spreads misleading information about health and environmental risks, including that solar projects in rural areas wreck the land and contribute to climate change.