Amidst the darkening cloud of violence that grips the US-Mexico border region, a surprising ray of sunlight illuminates a prosperous, cleaner future. Quietly above the hustle of Boulevard Tomas Fernandez in Ciudad Juárez, 25-year resident Daniel Chacón is greeted each day by what he calls “giant sun flowers,” solar panels that flank his office at the US-Mexico Border Environmental Cooperation Commission (BECC).

The serene landscape of solar panels turning with the sun-in a dance, as Daniel would say-runs in stark contrast to the Ciudad Juárez that America perceives: a city besieged by crime. Headlines from his hometown have reflected the strained relations between the U.S. and Mexico in their efforts to thwart the violent trade of narcotics across the border. Daniel sees a new and vital path in clean energy, and a path the US must facilitate. Keep reading →