Older Americans encouraged to go solar through Third Act and EnergySage partnership

Third Act was founded by environmentalist Bill McKibben who encourages residential solar because solar power works, it is an inexpensive form of power, it lowers energy bills and helps stabilize the grid.

July 3, 2025 Anne Fischer

Image: Quincy Biddle

EnergySage, a marketplace for residential clean energy solutions, is partnering with Third Act, a climate and democracy organization founded by Bill McKibben that aims to mobilize older Americans as volunteers and activists.

The partnership aims to make rooftop solar more accessible, affordable, and understandable for homeowners across the country.

“We know local solar is smarter solar—but myths still persist,” said McKibben. “With this partnership, we’re making it easier than ever for people to take their power back – literally.”

On July 15 at 3:00 p.m. ET, EnergySage and Third Act will host a free “Go Solar in 2025! Your Questions Answered” webinar in which attendees will learn the basics of solar, various financing options available, and whether their home is a good choice for solar. A live Q&A session will be available at the end of the webinar. Andy Roebuck, senior director of partnerships at EnergySage told pv magazine USA that the webinar is not exclusive to Third Act members.

“It is available to anyone who wants to learn about the basics of solar, available financing options, and what makes a home good for solar,” Roebuck said.

For those considering putting solar on their roof, time is of the essence, as the bill currently before the House is poised to eliminate the 30% residential solar tax credit at the end of 2025.

As Bill McKibben notes, solar power works, it is an inexpensive form of power, it lowers energy bills and helps stabilize the grid:

Solar power works—we now have states and countries proving every day that you can run modern economies on power from the sun and wind, and the batteries to store their power when the sun goes down or the wind drops. Solar power is now cheap—in fact, it’s the cheapest power we’ve ever seen on this earth, and getting cheaper by the month. But there’s a third reason to be excited about solar energy—it’s profoundly liberating, and enhances local democracy by decentralizing power and returning it to citizens. It can stabilize the grid during climate disasters, lower energy bills, and cut pollution in the communities that need relief most.

This partnership is part of Third Act’s larger movement leading up to Sun Day, a nationwide mobilization for renewable energy culminating in a day of action, art, culture and public participation in towns and cities all over the country on September 21, 2025.

By partnering with EnergySage, older Americans can get expert advice and trustworthy recommendations for vetted installers. “Before allowing an installer to join our Marketplace, we evaluate them based on their years of experience, business licenses and insurance policies, reputation, and North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certification,” Roebuck said.

“Third Act has a unique and powerful voice in the climate movement, particularly among older Americans who want to leave a better world behind,” said Charlie Hadlow, president and chief operating officer of EnergySage. “We’re proud to support their mission by offering trustworthy tools and expert guidance to help people take real climate action at home—while also uplifting communities on the frontlines of the crisis.”

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