What now for clean energy? ⛅️ with Jigar Shah

Oct 2, 2025

Jigar Shah, a clean energy entrepreneur and former director of the U.S. DOE Loan Programs Office, discusses the rapidly evolving landscape of clean energy. He highlights the importance of local generation and the complexities emerging from political change, including the impact of recent climate legislation rollbacks. Jigar emphasizes the need for civic engagement, advocating for community involvement in clean energy initiatives. He also explores the potential of geothermal energy, battery recycling, and modular nuclear solutions while urging a focus on practical implementations for a sustainable future.

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INSIGHT

Global Shift To Local Clean Energy

Global clean energy adoption is surging with 80% of new grid connections being solar and batteries.
Local energy sources and EV imports are reshaping energy choices worldwide.

ADVICE

Invest In Political Power

The clean energy industry must spend more on political influence and communications to match fossil fuel power.
Allocate small dedicated funds from every project to advocacy and community outreach now.

ANECDOTE

Loan Programs Office Bailed Out Tesla

The DOE Loan Programs Office historically helped commercialize technologies that otherwise moved offshore.
Shah recounts giving loans to Tesla and utility-scale projects to prove America could scale manufacturing.

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Today’s guest is Jigar Shah, a clean energy entrepreneur who served as director of the Loan Program Office in the US Department of Energy during the Biden administration. Previously, he was co-founder of Generate Capital, founder of Sun Edison, and founding CEO of the Carbon War Room. Now, he’s advising clean energy companies. He’s also a devout optimist. (I know, go figure.)

I interviewed Jigar for my book What if We Get It Right? back in April of 2023. Given how much has changed in the last 2+ years — especially since the start of the Trump administration 🫠 — I wanted check in with Jigar on where things stand on the clean energy transition. (AKA, WTF?!). From critical minerals to energy justice, to geothermal and nuclear, to battery recycling and salt caverns, we got into it all, folks.

TL;DR “We need to stop chasing shiny objects and start just executing on stuff that hasn’t yet been fully deployed.” — Jigar Shah

An abridged version of this interview will be added into the paperback edition of What If We Get It Right?, which will be coming your way in time for Earth Day. 📚✨

And while you’re listening, it’s super duper helpful if you follow, rate, review, and tell your crew. ✅ Thanks!

JIGAR'S CALL TO ACTION 🗣️

“People need to get engaged civically, in their sphere of influence. I don’t care whether it’s your school board, your knitting club, your church, your city council, your county, or if you have ambitions for your state, get involved and tell people: This is what is awesome. This is where my kids are gonna find a job. This is what is going to unlock all of this clean air and clean water.

I think people just assume this technology is gonna sell itself and it’s gonna be fine. We actually need permission from the local permitting board. We need permission from the local city council.

Think about how many school districts are saying, “Ugh, we know that all the diesel fumes are hurting the kids in the school buses, but it’s just too hard to go to electric, so we’re just gonna let another generation of kids suffer from fumes from diesel and school buses.” What? That’s your official policy? No! Get to the school board meeting.

Get involved because it matters. We are in this extraordinary revolution that’s gonna be beneficial for everyone. And I think people are just like, “Yeah, it’s gonna be fun to watch from the sidelines.” No! Get in the game.”

NOTES:

If you want more from Jigar, that’s smart of you. Check out his podcast Open Circuit, and follow him on LinkedIn.

This podcast is ad-free thanks to the support of Future Being, a grant making and special project studio, which supports the healing of our planet and the safeguarding of biological and cultural diversity.

This episode was produced and edited by Gabby Bulgarelli, and me, Ayana, with help from associate producer Jenisha Shrestha.

And if you’re new here, peruse the back catalog. A few dozen hours of sweet podcast conversations with incredible guests await you. ✨

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