This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate in 15 minutes or less featuring John Engel and Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm’s Mike Casey.
This week’s episode features Seth Borenstein from the Associated Press, who wrote about how worldwide installations of renewable energy hit a new high last year, driven largely by China.
This week’s “Cleantecher of the Week” is Andrew Reagan, President of Clean Energy for America, who is one of the many clean energy advocates on Capitol Hill pushing the Trump administration to keep the energy tax credits that create good-paying jobs, lower energy bills, and strengthen domestic manufacturing. Congratulations, Andrew!
The DOE is canceling efficiency rules for electric motors, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers, and external power supplies. The agency also said it’s pushing back the final rules for gas water heaters and walk-in coolers and freezers.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the option to choose appliances should “not belong to the federal government.” Trump has previously criticized energy-efficient appliances and has called to bring back old-style light bulbs that are no longer made at scale in the U.S.
Climate startups are shifting their messaging away from climate disruption and toward national security, domestic manufacturing, and AI since political backing and investor interest in clean initiatives has declined. High interest rates have dampened enthusiasm for the capital-intensive cleantech sector, which saw investment drop 40% in 2024 — the third year in a row of decline.
It’s not just startups that are changing their messaging — major companies like Dow and GM recently urged the Trump administration and Congress to keep tax credits for low-carbon hydrogen but avoided mentioning climate disruption. Instead, they framed the issue around energy independence and national security.
A new report from the International Energy Agency reported that rising global temperatures and rising energy demand are closely connected, mostly due to the increased use of air conditioning. These energy-intensive appliances strained the power grid, prompting many utilities to rely on coal and natural gas to meet the surge in demand.
Last year was the hottest on record. The IEA said that if 2024 had the same weather as 2023, global carbon pollution would have increased by only half as much.
The Trump administration is trying to revoke $20 billion in climate grants from Biden’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is being used to fund clean energy projects—especially in low-income communities—and lower energy bills. Hundreds of organizations are stuck waiting on a legal fight before they can access funding, putting projects like energy-efficient building upgrades and solar-powered wastewater plants on hold — and some may be canceled entirely, cutting off expected energy savings for communities.
The Trump administration’s attacks are making it much harder to attract private investors, so even if the money is released, the political backlash may leave a lasting chill on private sector support.
Global renewable energy installations hit a record high in 2024, with 92.5% of new electricity coming from clean sources like solar and wind, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. China led the surge, accounting for nearly 64% of the new capacity. It added almost 374 gigawatts—three-quarters of that from solar—far outpacing the U.S. and Europe. China now has 887 gigawatts of solar capacity, compared to 176 in the U.S. and 90 in Germany.
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