When Nick Brown talks about solar power, he isn’t focused on panels, turbines, or megawatts. He’s focused on people, especially in Rochester, where high energy costs and limited access to the trades keep many families from sharing in the benefits of clean energy.
Brown, the Workforce Development Manager at GreenSpark Solar, sees renewable energy as both an environmental imperative and an economic one. “You cannot do one without the other,” he says. “There is inequity in how people get their energy. If we can provide cost-effective, sustainable power, we fight climate change while giving everyone a fair shake at affordable electricity.”
That focus on equity resonates in Rochester, a city where nearly one in three residents lives below the poverty line and where utility bills often eat up a disproportionate share of household budgets. But Brown also sees a regional opportunity: a green economy that can fuel Western New York’s future.
“Low-income folks get left behind,” he says. “People with money decide where energy goes. It’s important that people with fewer resources get their share. Everyone deserves access to energy.”
Brown’s journey to solar wasn’t conventional. A Rochester native, he first worked in experiential education, construction, and environmental conservation. From 2013 to 2018, he co-founded Earthworks Institute, a nonprofit that used outdoor expeditions and STEM education to connect city youth and families with the environment.
At Earthworks, students camped in the Adirondacks, explored Western New York forests, and worked on urban environmental projects. “It wasn’t just about being outside,” Brown says. “It was about giving kids skills, teaching responsibility, and showing how caring for the land and caring for the community go hand in hand.”
Later, as a Career and Technical Education instructor at the Rochester City School District’s OACES training center, he taught carpentry to adult learners. Many were immigrants or English language learners. Others were adults retraining after layoffs or incarceration. Brown helped them map out 90-day goals, create résumés, and build confidence in the trades.
“Those experiences showed me that workforce development isn’t just about technical skills,” he recalls. “It’s about mentorship, encouragement, and helping people realize their own potential.”
That philosophy now guides his work at GreenSpark, the largest residential and commercial solar installer in Central and Western New York. With more than 1,300 home and business installations and over 350 MW of community solar across the Northeast, the company is both a regional employer and a driver of economic resilience.
GreenSpark is not only a contractor; it’s an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) partner for community solar developers. That means large-scale projects in places like Brockport and Batavia generate renewable power for hundreds of households, including renters and those who may not be able to afford panels of their own.
For Rochester, where much of the housing stock is rental and where barriers to homeownership persist, community solar offers a way to democratize clean energy. “It’s about making sure people in our neighborhoods can benefit, not just big corporations,” Brown says.
The company also operates on a cooperative model. As a member-owner of the national Amicus Solar Cooperative, GreenSpark shares knowledge and resources with peers across the country. Locally, its profit-sharing system ensures every employee—whether in the field or the office—receives a stake in the company’s success.
Brown sees solar careers as an opportunity to anchor Western New York’s workforce for decades to come. “A lot of young people think they can’t do this because they’ve never done carpentry or electrical work,” he says. “But those skills can be learned. If you can manage a busy shift at Wegmans, you already have transferable skills.”
For Brown, trades training isn’t just about employment, it’s about legacy. “Learning a trade gives you a generational skill, something to pass down, something that makes you self-reliant. Renewable energy isn’t going away. When you train as a solar technician, you’re preparing for a career that will last.”
This workforce pipeline matters not just for individuals but for the region’s economic health. State and federal incentives, including the Inflation Reduction Act, are fueling rapid expansion in renewable energy. That means jobs for electricians, equipment operators, project managers, and solar site technicians, roles that cannot be outsourced overseas.
“Solar jobs are sticky jobs,” Brown explains. “You have to be here to install them. You have to be here to maintain them. That means real, lasting employment in Western New York.”
And for many young people, these jobs don’t require taking on crushing student loan debt. Training programs through OACES, Monroe Community College, and apprenticeship pathways can open doors into the solar industry without a four-year degree.
At GreenSpark, Brown emphasizes that who you are matters as much as what you know. “We want people who show up, work well with others, and can communicate. The technical skills can be taught. But I can’t teach someone how not to be a jerk,” he says with a grin.
That people-centered philosophy extends to how GreenSpark develops projects. “When we build a solar farm, we do it ethically. We engage with the community, and every conversation is an opportunity for education.
Brown also stresses adaptability as the most valuable skill for the next generation of solar workers. “The scary part of AI is that it can take away people’s ability to think critically. In the field, you need to think for yourself. If you know the how and the why, you can find the solution. The touch of a hand on a finished product is unmatched.”
In a polarized climate, Brown is careful to separate solar from partisanship. “Getting your energy from solar is simply more efficient than fossil fuels. Your rate per kilowatt-hour is lower. The data shows it. This isn’t about politics, it’s about numbers.”
For him, the question isn’t whether renewable energy will last, but how quickly and equitably it will scale. “You can do both,” he insists. “You don’t have to choose between speed and fairness.”
Even with federal tax credits set to expire in 2028, Brown is optimistic. “People want renewable energy. They feel it’s too important to ignore. What gives me hope is people’s perseverance.”
For Rochester and Western New York, the promise of solar extends far beyond clean power. It’s about lowering utility bills for working families, creating jobs for young people, and giving the region a competitive edge in the economy of the future.
Already, local institutions like RIT and the University of Rochester are training engineers and scientists for the energy transition, while workforce programs are preparing the next generation of technicians and tradespeople. Companies like GreenSpark represent the middle ground—turning research, policy, and training into real projects that reshape the region’s energy landscape.
As climate challenges intensify, Brown sees Rochester’s history of innovation, from optics to manufacturing to photonics, as a foundation for a new kind of leadership. “This city has always been about invention and resilience,” he says. “Solar is just the next chapter.”
For Nick Brown, solar is about more than panels and power grids. It’s about Rochester families saving money on their bills, young workers discovering careers they never imagined, and communities taking energy into their own hands. It’s about building a future where energy is a right, not a privilege, a future measured not in megawatts, but in human opportunity.
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