Let There be Light: Faith and Science in the Tennessee Valley

While Jason Carney is not one to shy away from the responsibility he's shouldered as a pioneer in his field and a leader in his community, he does so quietly, with a measured and learned restraint. Such is the calm you'd expect from a man used to listening to other peoples problems, which he is. But Jason is also someone unafraid of introducing change into a system too often rooted in the old, closed ways of doing business. 

Jason is the founder of Energy Electives, a firm he founded to provide solar power to his community in Tennessee. He's also the president of the Tennessee Solar Energy Association, a non-profit dedicated to bringing renewable energy- and education about renewable energy- to underserved communities. Along the way, Jason earned a rather auspicious accolade, as an energy man but also something perhaps bigger. He is the first African-American man licensed as a solar technician in his home state of Tennessee.

In this episode we talk about his road to realizing his passion for solar energy, how that informed his faith and how his faith informed his ability to communicate his passion. We talk about what it's like being the first person who looks like he does to do what he does, and what that means for the next generation of aspiring renewable energy pioneers. And we talk about solar technology, why it's magical, and how beautiful a thing it is.