At first, many people overlooked the use of solar energy - it was seen as a cool space science experiment. Then, when solar started to develop and the technology matured, they scoffed at the small volumes being installed versus the vast amounts of coal, gas and oil being extracted every day.

Solar and, more recently, energy storage installations now outnumber any energy source, and opposition has sometimes taken the form of spreading misinformation from centralized, fossil-funded sources to influence local acceptance of solar. And it is already having an impact.

The Sabin Center on Climate Change at Columbia Law School collected 14 false solar claims in its document "Refuting 33 False Claims about Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles." The Law School previously launched the Renewable Energy Legal Defense Program in 2019 and published discussions on legislation that could slow the deployment of renewable energy.