Rhone Resch, the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Announced that he will step down on May 31st. A new interim leader will be named by SEIA soon through launching the executive search process.
SEIA is a national trade association established for and from the U.S. solar energy industry. The association aims to make solar more affordable and accessible to people by removing market barriers as well as strengthening the industry. Rhone was stepped as CEO and president of SEIA in 2005. During his tenure, SEIA was instrumental in expanding state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) across the country, protecting and enhancing net energy metering laws, spearheading siting and permitting reforms and supporting the adoption of carbon regulations.
Since 2004, the U.S. solar industry has added more than 30GW of solar domestically while reducing technology costs by over 80%. The growth also created more than 200,000 jobs and pumped more than $150 billion into the economy during difficult economic times.
Nat Kreamer, chairman of SEIA's board of directors, expressed the association's gratitude to Rhone for his accomplishments as SEIA's chief executive officer.
"During his 12 years of leadership at SEIA, Rhone grew the organization from a grassroots collective of solar companies into a formidable national association with a strong presence in Washington and members that range from local family businesses to blue chip and Fortune 500 companies," Kreamer said. "He created a single, powerful voice for the industry, representing all technologies and markets. That unified front has been the hallmark of SEIA for the last 12 years and recently helped us secure a huge win at the federal level with the extension of the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), ensuring the solar industry's role as an economic engine of growth for the United States for years to come."
"I am honored to have been able to contribute to building an industry that has such a positive impact on the U.S. economy, our energy security and the environment," Resch said in a letter to membership. "With the ITC extended through 2021 and solar energy markets growing throughout the country, now is the right time for me to move on to new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead."