SEIA Strengthens Policy Advocacy As ECA Solar Board Addition Aims To Promote Solar + Storage For Energy Independence

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has announced the appointment of ECA Solar, a leading distributed generation developer, to its board of directors. This addition comes as several states, including Virginia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maryland, have advanced legislation to expand distributed solar deployment to help lower energy costs for American consumers.

Founded in 2014 and based in Waltham, Massachusetts, ECA Solar has built a strong portfolio of community and commercial solar projects across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. The company manages the full lifecycle of its projects, from development and permitting to construction and long-term operations, ensuring that communities and landowners benefit from solar installations for years after completion.

Darren Van’t Hof, interim president and CEO of SEIA, highlighted ECA Solar’s impact on the distributed generation market, noting that the company is a driving force behind key energy infrastructure projects that provide low-cost, reliable power. He emphasized that ECA Solar’s commitment to supporting communities and landowners through complex permitting processes makes the company an ideal addition to SEIA’s board at a critical time for the industry, as solar and storage become central to lowering energy costs and ensuring reliable electricity.

ECA Solar currently has over 200 projects in development and a pipeline totaling 1.3 GW. Its focus on distributed generation and energy storage across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic is helping to meet rising energy demand while keeping electricity bills more affordable for Americans. CEO and Founder Todd Fryatt stated that joining SEIA aligns with the company’s mission to strengthen the nation’s solar and storage industries, which are vital to U.S. energy independence. He noted that distributed generation and storage projects directly improve affordability and energy choice for communities nationwide.

The addition of ECA Solar to SEIA’s board comes as the U.S. solar industry celebrated its fifth consecutive year as the top source of new power in the country. In 2025, solar and storage accounted for 79% of newly added electricity capacity, and the sector supplied a record 8.5% of total U.S. electricity. SEIA’s board of directors includes more than 50 companies spanning the full solar and storage value chain, reflecting the association’s leadership in shaping America’s clean energy future.