In early November, Solar Washington conducted an interview with Craig Olson, a member and volunteer of the organization. Olson, who retired in 2016 from his job as a microbiologist and salmon pathologist for the tribes of western Washington, shared his insights and experiences.

Solar Washington: How did you become interested in solar?  
Craig Olson: Retirement poses the question, What am I motivated to spend my time on? Helping to transition the world off of fossil fuels for both human health and the health of the habitat we live in is one of those top motives for me. The recent, but very brief in human history, petroleum age has been VERY beneficial by providing inexpensive, portable, and useful energy. But we’re burning so much of it that the combustion products and dwindling supply will be having severe effects on our children born in this millennium. Meanwhile, God has always, and continues to, supply all the energy the Earth needs from the Sun. All we need to do is harvest it, store, distribute, and use it. True statement, easy to say! But implementation takes a lot of work by a lot of (you) people over a lot more time than snapping our fingers.

These are the opportunities I’ve had to take action:

• Signed up with PSE to get 100% of our electricity from their Solar Choice and Green Power programs as soon as they became available.
• Gave $10k to each of our children to help them install solar PV.
• Discovered Solar Washington and have helped produce the Solar Summit each year starting in 2016.
• The gold rush-like frenzy to buy Tesla stock in 2020 inflated ours enough to pay for our Model Y, which runs on solar-derived electricity, thank you PSE.

SW: Why did you join Solar Washington and what do you expect from Solar Washington? 
CO: I joined as soon as I realized that Solar Washington provides needed quality resources for potential customers and the industry, as well as the important role of getting all interests together in one room annually for a Summit. Solar Washington’s stated purposes keep me happy.

SW: Do you have any advice for anyone considering solar right now as a career or as a source of energy in Washington? 
CO: The solar energy available is abundant; electricity is significantly more efficient than combustion; efficiency means more benefit for less expense; combustion products are killing people by a combination of toxicity and amplifying severe weather; building out solar infrastructure will benefit generations (like electrifying America, and building freeways has). Once built out, abundant energy that costs less can enable another quantum jump in standard of living. If you read this, you are contributing in some way(s). You are doing the right thing. I hope you sense the privilege you have of contributing to POSITIVE change at this time in history. When something makes good sense, LET’S DO IT