Americans are seeking out solar, batteries, and electric vehicles at a pace unlike anything the clean energy movement has seen in fifty years. In the 23 days after the Iran war began and the Strait of Hormuz closed, requests for home solar systems paired with battery storage jumped 21%. Used EV sales reversed course sharply, rising 17% in a single quarter after hitting their lowest point since 2022.  

This moment demands attention. Across the U.S. and globally, interest in clean energy is accelerating faster than at any point in history, and not necessarily because of anything the clean energy movement achieved on its own. Understanding why is critical. 

I watched two previous attempts to move the U.S. toward adopting clean energy fall short. In hindsight, both were predictable. The first era, roughly 1970 to 2005, was driven by values: a belief that protecting the environment was simply the right thing to do. Twenty million people turned out for the first Earth Day in 1970. Congress passed the Energy Tax Act in 1978. The environmental conviction was real, and it moved a committed minority. By 2010, after four decades of........

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