Donald Trump is accidentally overseeing a massive buildout of the country's renewable energy capacity and infrastructure. Not only are investments in renewable technologies soaring to new highs, the national energy grid is rapidly transforming to accommodate an increasingly solar- and wind-powered energy mix.
Despite massive rollbacks of Biden- and Obama-era clean energy incentives and financial supports, investment in clean energy tech keeps soaring to new heights, buoyed by market forces far outside of the federal government's control. Clean energy capital expenditures already reached $74 billion in the first half of 2026, and they're on track to reach a record $180 billion by the end of the year, according to fintech firm Crux's State of Clean Energy Finance: 2026 Mid-Year Market Intelligence Report.
"The market is proving resilient," Crux CEO and co-founder Alfred Johnson was recently quoted by Politico's E&E News. "We're seeing a significant amount of investment subsequent to the tax law changes of last year."
The insatiable energy demand coming from data center hyperscalers and the artificial intelligence boom has spurred a tidal wave of investment into all kinds of energy projects, and especially renewables due to their noted advantages when it comes to energy security and affordability. These advantages have been underscored in recent months by extreme volatility in fossil fuel markets thanks to the war in Iran and resultant supply chain vulnerabilities. "Renewables and storage continue to be the fastest way to get new electrons on the grid until additional gas-fired generation can be built," NextEra Energy CEO John Ketchum was recently quoted by Reuters.
As a result, we are currently "living in what arguably is one of the best periods to invest in renewables in the US over the last 20 years" according to Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade, chief executive officer of Portuguese electric utilities company EDP. Accordingly, EDP is directing approximately USD $5.3 billion – more than half of its capital expenditures – toward United States renewables projects over the next three years.
All of that renewable energy buildout is being accompanied by a massive and unprecedented uptick in battery storage buildout, resulting in a rapid transformation of the nation's energy grid. Over the past three years, utility-scale battery storage capacity increased at a blistering rate of 70 percent per year on average to reach 52 gigawatts (GW) today. Nearly 16 percent of that – 8.3 GW – was added in the first half of this year alone.
"This expansion depends mostly on co-locating batteries with solar photovoltaic (PV) plants to capitalize on wholesale price arbitrage across major energy markets," Interesting Engineering reported earlier this week. Connecting battery packs directly to solar farms allows the farms' operators to store excess clean energy at peak production hours until the evening hours, when production wanes, demand rises, and rates reach a premium. "This lucrative business model has sparked a massive construction boom across solar-heavy states, turning temporary energy storage into a primary driver of modern grid infrastructure," Interesting Engineering goes on to report.
As stunning as this year's figures are, the battery storage revolution is just getting started. Grid operators already have plans to add another 54 GW of battery capacity by the end of 2028. That means that the nation's energy storage capacity will double again by 2030, compared to current levels.
And the United States is not alone – the energy storage renaissance is proving to be a global trend. China is leading buildout by a wide margin, controlling more than half of global capacity. But other major global leaders are hurrying to get a foothold into the rapidly expanding market. Just this month, the European Union formalized a plan to triple the bloc's energy storage capacity by 2030. European Leaders are banking on energy storage – alongside renewable energy expansion – to steady the continent's energy markets and protect member states from the next energy crisis.
China's New Five-Year Plan Preps the Nation for Peak Oil
China's New Five-Year Plan Preps the Nation for Peak Oil
IEA: Southeast Asia Needs Grid Investment to Nearly Quadruple by 2050
IEA: Southeast Asia Needs Grid Investment to Nearly Quadruple by 2050
Oilprice Intelligence brings you the signals before they become front-page news. This is the same expert analysis read by veteran traders and political advisors. Get it free, twice a week, and you'll always know why the market is moving before everyone else.
You get the geopolitical intelligence, the hidden inventory data, and the market whispers that move billions - and we'll send you $389 in premium energy intelligence, on us, just for subscribing. Join 400,000+ readers today. Get access immediately by clicking here.
Why Solar Power Is Booming Under Trump Oilprice.com • 2mo ago
US energy storage additions hit a first-quarter record, report shows Reuters • 3mo ago GOOGL META
US energy storage additions hit a first-quarter record, report shows
Clean Energy Investment Hits $2.2 Trillion, Nearly Double Fossil Fuels Oilprice.com • 2mo ago
Clean Energy Investment Hits $2.2 Trillion, Nearly Double Fossil Fuels
The World's Biggest Energy Bet Is No Longer on Fossil Fuels Oilprice.com • 1mo ago
The World's Biggest Energy Bet Is No Longer on Fossil Fuels
US sees record Q1 2026 energy storage installations amid rosy outlook Utility Dive • 1mo ago
US sees record Q1 2026 energy storage installations amid rosy outlook
Energy storage industry set aggressive goals for 2025 — and already crushed them TechCrunch • 8mo ago REMA.PVT TSLA
Energy storage industry set aggressive goals for 2025 — and already crushed them
The Key to Solar and Wind Power Is Battery Storage, and China Is Dominating The Wall Street Journal • 1mo ago
The Key to Solar and Wind Power Is Battery Storage, and China Is Dominating
2026 Could Be a Banner Year for Clean Energy Stocks: 1 Fund to Buy Today Motley Fool • 6mo ago NVDA ICLN
2026 Could Be a Banner Year for Clean Energy Stocks: 1 Fund to Buy Today
Electrification Surge Fuels Case for Clean Energy ETF ACES ETF Trends • 1mo ago
Electrification Surge Fuels Case for Clean Energy ETF ACES
Energy IPOs Are Booming Thanks to AI’s Insatiable Thirst for Power Oilprice.com • 1mo ago
Energy IPOs Are Booming Thanks to AI’s Insatiable Thirst for Power
