President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel policies create opportunities for some climate investors. As Trump pushes for more oil and gas drilling and reduces reliance on clean power, some investors see bargains in the green-power sector. Oscar Perez, CEO and managing partner of Qualitas Energy, a Madrid-based private equity firm, sees potential in the US market.
In late 2023, Qualitas closed a €2.4-billion fund and used it to acquire a North Carolina solar-and-battery-storage business in early 2024. Despite the despair among climate activists, deep-pocketed investors view the current environment as an opportunity to purchase significant renewable assets at lower prices. The deputy chief investment officer for renewables at Brookfield Asset Management, senior executives at Jefferies, and private equity firm KKR share this sentiment.
Perez believes that surging power demand, driven by the growth of data centers, and mounting stresses on solar developers make them attractive acquisition targets. Solar firms often borrow heavily to prepare sites for farms, aiming to sell them at a profit—a model strained by recent Federal Reserve rate hikes. With oil and gas companies turning away from renewables, there are fewer potential buyers, allowing firms like Qualitas to snap up assets.
Climate investors finding green bargains
The belief in continuing the energy transition suggests that holding assets on the interconnection queue will be valuable. Investor action isn’t the only signal that the energy transition is persisting in the US despite Trump’s policies.
According to a PwC analysis, the number of firms publicly sharing their carbon emissions has increased ninefold in the last five years. David Linich, sustainability principal at PwC US, notes that companies may be less vocal about their efforts but aren’t backing off. However, some oil and gas companies, like France’s TotalEnergies, continue to bet on US power markets.
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné expressed skepticism about renewables’ attractiveness as an investment, citing the intermittency of solar and the high cost of batteries as barriers. In contrast, Europe is moving forward aggressively with clean tech investments. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized upgrading clean tech industries. Germany recently agreed to create a €500 billion infrastructure fund to bolster renewable energy efforts.
Despite headlines suggesting a retrenchment in climate efforts, PwC’s 2025 State of Decarbonization report argues that many companies are still committed to their climate goals.
Image Credits: Photo by Guy Bowden on Unsplash
Rashan is a seasoned technology journalist and visionary leader serving as the Editor-in-Chief of DevX.com, a leading online publication focused on software development, programming languages, and emerging technologies. With his deep expertise in the tech industry and her passion for empowering developers, Rashan has transformed DevX.com into a vibrant hub of knowledge and innovation. Reach out to Rashan at [email protected]
