POLITICO Energy Jigar Shah: Biden’s clean future can survive Trump
Feb 13, 2025
Jigar Shah, the former director of the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, shares insights on Biden's clean energy legacy and the hurdles posed by a potential second Trump administration. He discusses the resilience of clean energy initiatives amidst political shifts and the complications involving government funding for energy projects. Shah emphasizes the importance of trust between the government and the private sector and stresses the need for economic stability and job creation in rural communities while navigating the complexities of strategic energy investments.
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Restoring American Confidence
- The Biden administration aimed to restore confidence in the American private sector's ability to handle large-scale projects.
- This involved encouraging domestic manufacturing and prioritizing American deployment of new technologies.
Executive Orders as Noise
- Jigar Shah believes the Trump administration's early executive orders are insignificant and won't change the trajectory of clean energy adoption.
- He emphasizes the importance of physics and the need for increased energy generation and transmission, regardless of political rhetoric.
Maintaining Trust
- Give the new administration time to establish its policies before assuming the worst.
- Trust between the public and private sectors is crucial for successful investment and project completion.