Just four short years ago, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released an energy plan that derided the Obama administration’s “unhealthy ‘green’ jobs obsession.” At the same time, Romney advocated scratching tax incentives that promoted the development of wind and solar energy technology. Four years later, the debate has already shifted, and some Republicans across the country have changed their tunes, talking up clean energy and the economic benefits that come with it.

Recently, while campaigning in New Hampshire, then-presidential hopeful Marco Rubio said, “I want us to lead the world in everything. Let’s be number one in wind, let’s be number one in solar, let’s be number one in biofuel, number one in renewables, number one in energy efficiency. Let’s lead in all of these things.”

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey defended net metering - a program that incentivizes homeowners to make the switch to solar - on the campaign trail during his brief presidential run, too.

If Republican rhetoric is changing, it’s because it has become harder to ignore the financial benefits of the rapidly growing clean energy economy. At the same time, clean energy is overwhelmingly popular with the American people and with crucial conservative constituencies, in particular.

A Gallup Poll from this past year found that 70% of Republicans believe the U.S. should put more emphasis on developing solar power. A recently released Public Opinion Strategies poll reinforced how key this issue is across the political spectrum. The poll found that more than a quarter (27%) of the hardest-to-reach independent voters from presidential swing states would be more likely to vote for a Republican if that candidate showed more vocal support for increasing solar energy options. The poll also found that a whopping 90% of independent voters in swing states favor increasing the use of solar energy.

On top of that, the number of Republican-controlled congressional districts with solar facilities has almost doubled in the past eight years, and within the same time span, the number of House Republicans representing districts with utility-scale solar facilities has increased seven times over.

Solar is not just good politics - it’s also good policy. Solar energy is the cleanest, most abundant renewable energy source available. Nationwide, solar and wind now generate enough energy to power nearly 20 million American homes, and the price of clean energy has dropped so much that in many places, it’s already cheaper than coal. Clean energy investments also create jobs in communities across the country, help to ensure energy independence and curb consumer energy costs. It’s a win-win for businesses, consumers, our national security and the environment.

People ask me all the time how we can make addressing climate disruption a bipartisan agenda item and how Republicans will ever be able to talk about solutions to the climate crisis after prominent members of their party have been denying its existence for so long. The answer is that Republicans already have solutions to climate change - right in their backyards. Whether it be solar panels or wind turbines, their districts are increasingly home to some of the best solutions to the climate crisis, and now, rhetorical embrace of solar just needs to translate into embrace of solar-friendly policies.

While the shift in tone on this issue is important, it’s just a first step. Now we need to pursue policies that will help boost the booming clean energy economy by accelerating our transition away from dirty fuels like coal, oil and gas as we move toward 100% clean, renewable energy. Our nation’s prosperity and the future of our planet depend on it.

Khalid Pitts is political director at environmental advocacy group Sierra Club.