Our Towns, Our Future: The Cost of Climate Change and the Promise of Clean Energy
A message from POW Bike Alliance member Sarah Sturm & Science Alliance member Greg Nemet:
Clean energy isn’t just a climate solution—it’s a lifeline for our communities, our economy, and our mental health. It’s also good for our wallets. In Durango, for example, the impacts of climate change aren’t abstract. Past Wildfires have reshaped both the landscape and way of life in our small mountain town. With winters no longer cold or long enough, fire season now brings annual fear. Smoke-filled skies cancel kids’ mountain bike practice and force us to rethink how we live, work, and recreate. Watching the next generation be dramatically affected—kids who didn’t have a say in the decisions made 30 years ago—has been one of the hardest parts. We messed up the world they’re inheriting, and that makes being proactive about clean energy and climate solutions not just important, but a moral responsibility for our communities and our planet.
That’s why local action matters. In rural areas like mine, Rural Electric Co-ops play a significant role in shaping our energy future. La Plata Electric Co-op is currently working to exit a tri-state agreement rooted in oil and gas—something that has stirred up debate in our community—but the co-op is committed to building clean energy regionally that will support our local economies and create energy independence. Part of why I get involved is to help people see that renewables aren’t just a solution to environmental issues; they’re also an economic one. Clean energy comes with jobs, new industries, and long-term stability.
Thanks to both local action and advocacy at the federal level, that future is already taking shape nationwide. Over the past decade, the cost of solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and home energy tech has plummeted—some by more than 80%. It also means families can sidestep the price spikes associated with oil and gas, gaining energy independence that fossil fuels cannot offer. From solar farms to EV chargers on main streets, clean energy is no longer a niche; it’s the new normal for our communities.
Solar power is also lapping the competition. In just the last decade, the cost of solar panels has dropped by 85%, and is now 10,000 times lower than it was in the 1950s when solar energy was first commercialized. Now, in many sunny regions, solar is the most affordable way to generate electricity—cheaper than coal, gas, nuclear, or even wind. In 2020, the International Energy Agency called it “the cheapest source of electricity in history.”
Clean energy has momentum that’s hard to stop. It’s now the leading source of new electricity capacity in the U.S. and around the world, outcompeting fossil fuels on price, especially in sunny and windy regions. When renewables are paired with batteries, smart transmission, and digital tech, they work more efficiently. Combined, they create a power grid that’s more resilient, more affordable, and more future-proof than anything fossil fuels can offer.
The future of renewable energy is critical. We’re very clearly at a turning point in the global climate crisis, and for those of us who have the means to shift our lifestyles, careers, and priorities, it’s on us to do the work. That means learning, engaging, and voting in ways that reflect the future we want to build.
But personal choices alone aren’t enough. We’re still up against resistance in boardrooms, courtrooms, and backroom deals. Sometimes it’s loud. Sometimes it’s buried in bureaucracy. That’s why strong, supportive policy still matters. We need it to bring communities together around clean energy projects and ensure that families and small businesses have the power to choose cheaper, cleaner options.
Clean energy is now the cheapest form of energy, and unlike fossil fuels, its prices don’t fluctuate wildly with global markets. The only real question is, will we move fast enough?
–Sarah Sturm, POW Bike Alliance and Colorado community member
–Greg Nemet, POW Science Alliance and Wisconsin community member
