Supporting Solar Power & Stopping Data Centers
Third Act is a community of Americans over sixty determined to change the world for the better. It harnesses its generational power to defend our climate & democracy. Using life experiences, skills, & resources, it tackles the unfinished work of its generation to ensure a safe & stable planet for future generations.
About Third Act
Older Americans are the fastest-growing part of the population; 10,000 people a day pass the 60-year mark. Members of this generation saw enormous positive changes early in their lives, but now it appears that the promise of those changes may be dying, as the planet heats and inequality grows.
But as a generation, older Americans have unprecedented skills & resources. Washington & Wall Street have to listen when they speak, because they vote and because they have a large share of the country’s assets.
Third Act Initiative is a nonprofit social welfare organization that is tax exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(4). It engages in public education, legislative advocacy, and limited electoral activity to support people-powered change to protect our democracy and our climate.
Third Act is a dedicated group of organizers, campaign strategists, and communications professionals working together to build a powerful elder-led movement for climate action and democracy protection. Please consider donating to Third Act.
Third Act Projects: Solar Advocates
The Solar Advocates Project allows Third Actors to have an actual hands-on role in working with solar developers at the local level to remove barriers and accelerate the rapid transition to solar energy. The goal is to mobilize & present effective grassroots advocacy for permitting specific community solar, utility-scale solar, and battery storage projects.
It mobilizes informed cadres of Third Actors within their communities to support specific solar & battery storage projects where local support can be important, notably at hearings & meetings where supporters can show up and influence the outcome.
Third Act Working Groups organize regional cadres of volunteers for training on how to present factual information to local officials & their communities about the economic & environmental benefits of siting solar energy generation & battery storage systems within a community.
Opposition to Local Solar Power
The fossil-fuel industry & investor-owned utilities, through national organizations like Citizens for Responsible Solar, are backing well organized local opposition groups to delay or stop solar developments.
This opposition often results in municipalities enacting permanent bans or temporary moratoria on solar & battery projects or restrictive zoning regulations that act as de facto bans. More commonly, municipal planning & zoning boards deny land-use permits based on arbitrary, capricious, or non-technical reasons.
Delays in municipal approval of a solar or battery project directly increase the cost of the project. Direct cost increases come from higher carrying costs for staff & consultants, site control expenses, and lost revenue. Delays may result in termination of agreements for land, grid interconnection, and power purchase.
The Solar Advocates Narrative
Third Act Working Groups organize local teams of volunteers with diverse skills including: (1) research; (2) presenting to civic groups, municipal boards & elected officials; (3) writing letters to municipal boards & local newspapers; and (4) social media outreach.
Regional cadres include volunteers from the Sierra Club, the Climate Reality Project, and other solar advocacy groups. Volunteers present a positive, community-centric narrative, preferably before a negative narrative takes hold in a community. Emphasis is given to tailoring messages to the local situation, in order to identify & articulate the community benefits that come with the project and to counter misinformation.
Strategic Partnerships With Solar Industry Associations
Solar industry associations identify critical projects and contact Third Act to mobilize & present effective grassroots advocacy. These partnerships include the state affiliates of the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Coalition for Community Solar Access (for community solar projects) and green light America (for utility-scale solar & battery storage projects).
Third Act Projects: Stopping Data Centers
The explosive growth of large data centers poses a serious threat, both to economic stability & ecological health. These industrial facilities accelerate energy demand & fossil fuel reliance while depleting vital water resources and imposing higher utility costs on local residents.
Across the country, diverse coalitions are organizing to secure a halt to the development of these massive facilities. Concerned communities are demanding rigorous assessments of environmental impacts and the protection of ratepayers from unfair financial burdens.
Call for Moratoria
Third Act and its partners are calling on local, state, & national legislators to halt the rapid, unchecked building of hyperscale data centers. Passing timely moratoria at the state & local levels will afford us the necessary time to get it right before irreparable harm is done to the environment and the economy.
Without a pause, the tech industry will continue to rush into agreements with local governments to acquire land, water, & electricity to meet massive energy needs. These agreements are loaded with ratepayer subsidies, access to precious water sources, and promises to supply energy that feeds into the fossil fuel industry’s false narrative that to keep this technology running we have to delay dealing with the climate crisis for now and build out more fossil fuel infrastructure.
How Third Act Is Pursuing the Moratoria
Third Act has endorsed the national moratorium in the US House & Senate introduced by Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Sanders. Working Groups are advocating at the state level to enact moratoria. Working Groups are joining coalitions to introduce ballot measures, propose regulatory restrictions, and create substantive conversations that organize local resistance.
Webinars & strategy sessions designed to refine winning tactics and unify the movement are being hosted by Third Act & coalition partners. These utilize proven methods for halting data center construction through legal, corporate, and political strategies.
Third Act Ohio
Third Act Ohio is a group of concerned Ohioans who collectively pressure corporations & politicians to implement concerted and vigorous measures that protect life and ensure that true democracy prevails in the US.
Third Act Ohio Solar Committee Update
It is exciting to see the advancement of renewables at the state and city levels. This is where Third Act Ohio is putting its energy.
Plug in Balcony Solar. A Plug-In Balcony Solar bill has been introduced in both houses of the Ohio General Assembly. The bill would allow renters & homeowners to use portable solar panel units that are plugged into 120 volt outlets and reduce the amount of electricity drawn from the grid. Third Act Ohio has joined a coalition of organizations including Solar United Neighbors & the Sierra Club to pass this bill.
Instant Permitting of Rooftop Solar. In Ohio, solar permits for homes can take up to 30 days to be approved. SolarAPP+ is an online permitting solution used by over 335 towns and cities across the country that results in an instant permit with an inspection checklist for building officials. Third Act Ohio will soon be holding a “Simplify Solar Launch” Zoom call to discuss how SolarAPP+ can be introduced to Ohio towns & cities.
Data Centers in Ohio, Ohio has the 4th highest number of Data Centers in the country. People are pushing back, as more information comes out about the cost of these facilities: in increased energy use, increased water use, and increased pollution.
Get Big Oil Out of Professional Sports. The Cleveland Guardians prominently display their connection with Marathon oil on their uniforms and at the ballpark. On June 21, Third Actors protested outside of Progressive Field as part of the national campaign to get Big Oil out of Professional Sports.
More About Third Act
Third Act Teams
Third Act’s Campaigns Team designs & drives strategic initiatives to advance climate & democracy protections. By mobilizing resources, shaping messaging, and coordinating impactful actions, it amplifies efforts at key moments. The team also hosts planning meetings for volunteers, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, & tactics to engage effectively and drive change.
Its Organizing Team supports volunteers across the country, helping to grow & strengthen the grassroots movement. It provides training & guidance to improve volunteer skills volunteers and build its base, ensuring both new & experienced activists have an organizing home & foundation. From phone banking & canvassing to large-scale mobilizations, it empowers members to take the lead in advocacy & action.
Its Digital Team develops & maintains Third Act’s online presence, ensuring that its message reaches & mobilizes a broad audience. Through social media, video production, email campaigns, and website management, it helps tell the story of the people behind the movement. The team also plays a key role in ensuring that its digital tools & platforms function effectively for volunteers & organizers.
Its Development Team stewards relationships with the supporters & funders who sustain its work. Through fundraising efforts, grant writing, and donor engagement, it ensures that Third Act has the resources needed to grow & thrive.
Working Principles
Be Kind. Third Act works for progressive change with conviction & vigor, but without aggression or bitterness. All its work is nonviolent.
Be inclusive. Third Act strives to make sure that diversity in race, gender, or other markers of identity make it stronger, allowing people of every kind to lead & guide.
Boost others. Third Act guards against ego & ambition. The loudest voices do not dominate its efforts; it tries to spread & share responsibility & leadership.
Be humble. Third Act works confidently, but with humility. In particular, it tries to make use of the internet & social media in ways that don’t damage what’s left of the social fabric.
Take care. It is necessary to look for opportunities to relax & take care. Part of the work is simply to enjoy the world around us, to celebrate victories and offer support.
Back up the youths! The Third Watch generation, taken as a whole, has helped create some of our current problems. Though it has an important role to play in dealing with those problems, it also needs to support younger people leading movements for environmental & social justice.
Be generous, but not to a fault. It takes financial resources to help power the work, but many of us live on fixed incomes. No one should give money they can’t afford; volunteer support is what is most needed.
Be accountable. Unity multiplies effectiveness. While local working groups have a superior sense of what messages will work in their communities, they need to take guidance from the central office of Third Act on campaigns and themes.
Be creative. Work in good humor, good faith, and good cheer. Problems may not be solved in our lifetimes, but our lives can help us move in the right direction.
