In Florida, a misleading ballot measure that aimed to thwart the state's rooftop-solar industry failed to get the 60 percent of votes needed to pass in the November election. A determined, grassroots coalition defeated Consumers for Smart Solar, a political action committee purporting to be pro-solar that spent over $25 million in ads and direct-mail campaigns. Amendment 1 would have made installing panels on homes and businesses more expensive; critics called it a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

In early October, Amendment 1 had an approval rating of more than 70 percent in polls. But opposition picked up after the Miami Herald exposed leaked tapes proving that major utility companies had motives to quell solar competition. More than 50 solar companies spoke out against the measure. The Sierra Club's Florida Chapter launched a social media campaign that went viral. The chapter also phone-banked, distributed 5,000 yard signs, and held 12 simultaneous press conferences.

While Frank Jackalone, the Florida Chapter director, admits that Donald Trump's victory initially eclipsed his excitement about the measure's defeat, he's since come to see it as an important reminder of the power of local organizing. "Now we are able to point to Amendment 1 as a success story," Jackalone says. "We know we can win."

This article appeared in the March/April 2017 edition with the headline "A Solar Success."