Abigail Ross Hopper will step down as SEIA president and CEO on January 30, 2026
Under her 9-year leadership, US solar capacity grew from 36 GW to over 255 GW
SEIA credits Hopper for initiating key programs strengthening industry advocacy, inclusion, and solar manufacturing growth
Abigail Ross Hopper, the current president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), has submitted her resignation. She will leave the association she headed for almost 9 years on January 30, 2026.
The association announced that Hopper will be transitioning from the organization and that it is now beginning an executive search process to find her successor.
The SEIA Board of Directors Chair Darren Van’t Hof acknowledged Hopper’s leadership and said, “Under Abby’s leadership, the U.S. solar industry has experienced over 600% growth and emerged as an economic juggernaut that is the leading source of new power in this country.”
During the time that Hopper led the association, the US solar and storage industry expanded from 36 GW of installed capacity to exceed 255 GW, while growing from $16 billion in annual investment to over $70 billion. She is credited with establishing new initiatives such as the Solar Sisters Network and launching Solar and Storage Industries Institute (SI2) and the association’s advocacy arm.
The US has since risen from rank 14 in solar manufacturing globally to becoming the 3rd largest solar manufacturing economy.
Hopper herself reminisced about her tenure as, “When I came to SEIA in 2017, we were an emerging industry with incredible potential. Today, we are a cornerstone of America’s energy economy, an economic engine, a beacon of technology and innovation, and an industry with limitless potential for growth.”
Previously the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Hopper took over the reins of the US solar lobby association from Rhone Resch in 2017 (see New CEO for SEIA).
