Solar Lobby

Black text surrounded by a red Solar Lobby logo on a yellow background. The logo is an illustration of the sun made up of people with their hands joined and raised above their heads.

The Solar Lobby was an environmental political lobbying group that evolved from Sun Day, an international celebration of solar energy that took place on May 3, 1978. It was a coalition of solar groups, environmentalists, farm, labor, and industry organizations. Its primary funding came from small membership contributions. Initially, the Solar Lobby's highest priority was to influence President Carter’s solar message, hoping to set a high, but achievable goal, capable of “inspiring a substantial national effort”.  They laid out a “Blueprint for a Solar America” which aimed to get 25% of the nation’s energy from solar power by the year 2000.

President Carter was enthusiastic in his support of solar energy, however his successor, Ronald Reagan, wasted no time slashing the solar energy budget in favor of nuclear and coal. In 1986 Solar Lobby merged with the Center for Renewable Resources forming the Fund for Renewable Energy and the Environment.