Listen to my interview with AY Young in the player above.
Musician AY Young has staged more than 950 renewable-energy powered off-grid concerts as part of his Battery Tour.
The artist, who was recognized as one of the 17 United Nations Youth Leaders for Sustainable Development Goals, was inspired by his parents, who were community leaders and activists. His father, he says, transformed his neighborhood–where there were four drug houses–block-by-block and created a model neighborhood plan. His mother became a state representative.
Young began his renewable energy journey when he was 21. In some cases, he flew to remote areas, was ushered into a van accompanied by armed guards and was told not to drink the water.
As he travels the world, Young’s aim is to produce 1,000 renewable-energy powered off-grid concerts and create an album with other artists that focuses each of 17 tracks on a U.N sustainable development goal. He also donates proceeds from his concerts to clean energy projects in the communities he visits.
His work is important to the music and entertainment industry, which generally powers off-grid events with diesel and fossil-fuel generators. For example, producing the Coachella Music and Arts Festival requires about 26 MW of power for site lighting, sound systems, video walls, production offices and catering infrastructure at a site that’s 1 mile wide and 1.5 miles long.
At first, people in the industry told him that he wasn’t a real artist if he used renewable energy to power his events. Later, other musicians began following his lead. Energy industry members supported his efforts through what he calls “radical collaboration.”
Follow Clean Energy Today on Apple Podcasts. Listen to my interview with Young on Apple Podcasts here.