Scaling Clean: Abby Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association

In this episode of Scaling Clean, I sat down with Abby Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, for a conversation as she prepares to step down from her role on January 30.

During Abby’s nine-year tenure at SEIA, the US solar industry grew from 36 GW to 255 GW of capacity, expanded to 5.5 million residential customers and climbed from 14th to third in global solar manufacturing. She led through trade wars, COVID and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, one of the most consequential climate laws in US history.

Although Abby has extensive experience with scale and policy wins and losses, this conversation was about leadership when a job is hard, feedback is loud and decisions are uncomfortable. 

One piece of advice that stood out to me was Abby’s approach to receiving feedback. Be open to it, but don’t let it become your identity. Your sense of what’s right, and who you are, can’t be built from other people’s opinions.

Here are three takeaways that stayed with me:

Leadership is about being clear.

Abby talked about leading SEIA through layoffs during COVID. She emphasized that simply being “nice” won’t cut it, especially when job loss upends someone’s day-to-day life.

“Clear is kind,” she said. Transparency, honesty and context matter, especially when decisions can hurt someone’s feelings. People like to understand why.

As the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” moved through Congress, Abby said she had to balance optimism with honesty, making sure her team stayed focused on what was realistically possible as the process unfolded.

“I have to walk the line between, would you like me to give you the truth, or would you like me to make you feel better about what's likely to happen in Congress?” said Abby Hopper. “I usually always choose the truth on those ones.”

Be open to feedback, but don’t let it impact your sense of self. 

Abby listens to feedback carefully, but she doesn’t let outside opinions define her sense of right and wrong.

“I try to be really open to feedback, but also not my sense of what's right and what's wrong. And my sense of myself is not made up of feedback from others,” says Abby. 

She also makes the point that not all feedback deserves equal weight. The closer someone is to the work, and the more context they have, the more seriously she considers it. 

Your next chapter doesn’t have to start with a job title.

As Abby prepares to step down in 10 days, she’s intentionally trying not to define “what’s next.” Instead of moving quickly into a new role, she is focusing on what her life wants to look like, such as how she wants to spend her time, who she wants to be present with and what kind of work energizes her. 

“I feel really good about the work that I've done. I want a new challenge.” said Abby. “I feel like I have a lot of energy, ideas and excitement about the way the world could be and should be. So, I want to take time to mold that unfettered excitement and optimism into the next place that I'm going to apply those.”

Why This Conversation Matters

Clean energy isn’t just about navigating policy cycles or scaling infrastructure. It’s about how leaders show up when the stakes are high.

Abby’s reflections offer lessons that apply far beyond solar:

• Being direct, honest and transparent during tough conversations will make a greater impact than just being “nice.” Honest communication builds more trust than comfort ever will.
• Feedback isn’t a character assessment. Be receptive, apply what’s useful and keep your core intact.
• Let your “next chapter” reflect the life you want to build. When you look back, it’ll be the people and experiences, personally and professionally, that stand out. Not your job titles.

Abby leaves behind an organization that’s resilient and prepared for what is coming next. She made a lot of people feel like they belonged in this industry while it was still changing and growing. I’m grateful she took the time to reflect so openly in this conversation, and I’m rooting for where she chooses to go next. 

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