Clean Energy Spotlight: Fernando Zurita
Our latest #cleanenergyspotlight is a former political organizer turned policy analyst working on clean energy. One of the Faces of Clean Energy, Fernando Zurita is now policy analyst manager at Syncarpha Capital, an investment company dedicated to “developing, owning and operating commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar energy systems throughout the United States.”
Previously, he served as the Regulatory Affairs Manager for Infiniti Energy, a New Jersey-based company, where he interacted “with regulatory and/or regional organizations…on the long-range growth and benefits of solar.”Across his work, Zurita has worked “policymakers and industry stakeholders [to] understand how programs like community solar can advance environmental justice.”
“I’ve seen the worst of how environmental injustice has impacted mine and other communities,” he explained. “For a large part of the community in the Ironbound section of Newark, they suffer from asthma and respiratory problems. It’s in part due to the close proximity of sewage, chemical, and natural gas facilities that are in the vicinity.”
That’s why Zurita has strived to remove the barriers to the widespread adoption of solar energy. “Working with policymakers and industry stakeholders on a daily basis has helped me understand how programs like community solar can advance environmental justice for communities and offer voice, access, and ownership to clean energy.”
“It's important we find more sustainable [and affordable] pathways to procure our energy for our benefit and for the benefit of future generations.”
Thank you, Fernando, for supporting a clean energy future that generates good-paying jobs and lowers costs for families and consumers in America.
