Property Brothers star, Jonathan Scott is gearing up to join the fight for clean energy with his powerful directorial debut, Jonathan Scott’s Power Trip — an investigative documentary exploring the U.S. solar industry and powerful system waging war against it. Hoping to enlighten citizens on why renewable energy isn’t available to all, the HGTV personality shines a light on the obstacles and opportunities facing the growing energy freedom movement by revealing ways we can take back the grid. But as a new administration approaches following the U.S. presidential election seeing Joe Biden elected as the 46th president, Scott tells PopCulture.com exclusively he is optimistic over the former vice president’s plans for climate change and solar energy.
“I think it is very exciting to see that we have — and of course not officially yet — but it looks like we’ll have an administration who does believe in being environmentally responsible, looking for alternative energy sources and seeing these business opportunities,” Scott said. “The thing for me is, I think America should be a leader. There is no reason why the rest of the world shouldn’t look up to America and say, ‘Wow, these guys are doing it right. The technology they’ve embraced, the infrastructure in creating a smart grid. Everything they’re doing is really leading the charge.’”
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Scott adds how he believes “America could be the best” by showing the rest of the world that it is possible to do something that’s good for the environment, business and people at the same time. Adding how there are already a lot of cities supplying 100% of electricity from renewable sources, the 42-year-old admits one of the most challenging parts of his documentary was showing people how a lot of the myths behind climate change have already been busted.
“It’s not like we can just flip the switch right now and go 100% renewable across the country,” he said. “We can’t just shut down all-natural gas and everything else. The economy would collapse, and it would be impossible. So, how do we find an aggressive but reasonable way to move in that direction? The next huge revolution I think we’re going to see will be in battery storage. When that happens, that’s going to change everything, as well.”
Scott reiterates how “it’s not about saying we have to be all 100% renewable energy right now,” but rather making a plan to transition to it and review the benefits. “When you compare, if you were building a brand power plant today, the most cost-effective way to generate a certain amount of power would be through the wind. Solar is second. Coal, that’s what we’re no longer seeing — even in just the last few years, there were still 20 coal power plant projects that were slated to start, and over the last couple of years, with all of this movement toward renewable energy and seeing the cost advantages, those projects have now all been shut down or abandoned, which is very exciting but there are still lots of natural gas power plants being built or slated.”
The filmmaker and renewable energy advocate admits it’s the same with nuclear energy. “Moving in a direction where we can aggressively approach a cleaner form of energy and a more cost-effective form of energy for people, I think is so important.”
According to President-elect Biden’s promise to combat climate change, the next U.S. leader promises to make changes on the first day of his administration as there are only “nine years left” to “stop the worst consequences of climate change.” Such changes include taking executive action on Day 1 to reverse “all the damage Trump has done”; work with Congress to enact legislation in 2021 that finds polluters bearing the full cost of carbon pollution; make historic investments in clean energy and innovation and much more. For more information, head to Joe Biden’s official website to view his plan for a “clean energy revolution.”
Jonathan Scott’s Power Trip premieres Monday, Nov. 16 at 10 p.m. ET as part of the Independent Lens documentary film series on PBS, check your local listings. For more on Jonathan, the upcoming Biden administration and more, keep it locked to PopCulture.com for the latest and up-to-the-minute news you need to know.
