A Fellow's Farewell

As my time at Groundswell draws to a close, my reflection on my six weeks here reminds me of learning how to swim. Going into a new place, whether it be going off to college or starting an internship in a new field, always feels to me like a cross between receiving swimming lessons in the shallows and vaulting into the deep end for the first time. There are always helping hands when you need them, but the real learning lies in taking an exhilaratingly anxious leap of faith, diving into whatever is under the inviting surface of the water and immersing yourself in the depths of your new environment.


Isaac Carroo feeling enthusiastic about the work ahead!

When I first got here, I had a lot of catching up to do. I had an unbelievable amount of questions to ask. How does switching over to wind power work? What is an SREC? What is an energy audit? What is energy democracy? I was soaking up information like a sponge, taking in as much as possible to get my roots down and become more effective in my tasks. Through my assignments, I encountered a lot of foreign information and learned it all as fast as I could in order to acclimate myself with the complex, nuanced world that is the clean energy sector. I started finding patterns in what I read, eventually uncovering informational avenues much like one would learn how to get around in a new city. With a stronger foundation, I found it easier to dig deep in my work.

Some of the most important lessons I have learned here, though, have solely come from observing my coworkers do their jobs. Sitting in meetings with them, having one-on-one discussions with them, and working towards common goals with them showed me a new perspective on setting and reaching goals. Groundswell is embarking into uncharted territory by trying to move solar power into arenas that the world has never before seen, a goal that is inherently lofty; when one’s aim is to pioneer and creating change, one’s goals can be nothing but ambitious. When you dream big, however, it is important to keep your feet on the ground. Groundswell has taught me to turn high aspirations into measurable, smart goals, and then aggressively pursue them no matter the difficulty. An idea constructed with the mind is only as good as the gusto with which you build it using your hands.


Isaac Carroo with staff member, Latoya Watson, excited about new Groundswell shirts!

The aspect of Groundswell’s mission that resonated with me most in my work was the emphasis on empowerment. Groundswell has a commitment to community development and giving attention to disadvantaged places that the renewable energy movement overwhelmingly glosses over in most instances. The desired effect of this commitment isn’t just to provide access to clean energy in places where it isn’t traditionally found, but also to empower the people in those places to take control of their energy situation. Additionally in my time at Groundswell, I, in conjunction with other colleagues here and with groups across the nation, worked on creating an energy democracy program geared towards college campuses, called the Powershift Network. The program seeks to link college students with communities near their campus, and encourages partnering with community members to bring energy democracy to towns and cities nationwide.

Although I was working on details of planning this initiative in the past six weeks, I am eager to pursue it from a student perspective once I get back to Rice for my fall 2016 semester. At Groundswell, I gained invaluable knowledge about today’s renewable energy landscape and transforming the cerebral into the tangible, and from my Powershift colleagues I have a diverse, in-depth resource bank. Everyone I have worked with in these six weeks has roused my spirit, and with their continuing support I have put together my own action plan for bringing energy democracy to Houston, the energy capital of the world. This includes making partnerships with influencers in Houston communities, building up a base of students at my school that are interested in energy democracy, and petitioning my institution to make changes in its energy supply and where it invests. Although I will be returning to my studies, I now have a rock-solid network of professionals and friends with the same goal moving forward. My work around energy will not abate now, this is just the beginning.