Tim DeChristopher understands why he's going to jail. As he told Rolling Stone in a recent interview, "What I did was a threat to the status quo, so I understand why those in power want to put me away."
Tim represents a new breed of disruptive, bold climate activists who are putting their lives on the line to bring about the transformational change we need. And he considers Solar Mosaic part of that transformation. Asked what it would take to fundamentally transform our energy system, he pointed to Solar Mosaic as proof that we're on our way. For the folks at Solar Mosaic, this is both a huge compliment and a great expectation to fulfill.
A quick recap on Tim: One the eve of Obama's inauguration, a 27-year old economics student from Utah entered an auction set up for oil and gas companies, became the top bidder, and won the lease rights. He had no intention of paying for the land; he was acting to protect public land from destructive extraction. Despite the fact that the leasing plan was flawed and has since been revoked, Tim faces up to ten years in prison for his actions. His sentencing was recently rescheduled for the tenth time and is slated for late July. To read Tim's full story, click here.
I take a lot of inspiration from Tim, for his personal resolve and his commitment to confronting the inadequacies of the gray economy and spurring on a new energy transformation.
I'm also inspired to witness this new paradigm taking hold in concrete ways around the country. Indeed, Solar Mosaic -- which aims to democratize clean energy in Oakland, California and around the country-- represents a radical departure from traditional top-down fossil fuel systems.
DeChristopher speaks of a future that promotes local power, justice and prosperity for all, and an economy based on human goodness. Solar Mosaic embodies these tenets, putting the energy in the hands of people, creating jobs and helping community institutions save money, and building an economy that reflects the values we strive to live by.