Jigar Shah on The Future of Clean Tech Under Trump
The US' king of clean tech commercialisation joins Michael Liebreich on Cleaning Up.
Will the Trump administration accelerate progress or put up roadblocks for clean tech? And how can the U.S. stay competitive with China, which already holds a commanding lead in the sector?
Jigar Shah joins Cleaning Up fresh from his four-year tenure as Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office (LPO). Appointed in 2021, Shah transformed the once-obscure office into a clean-tech commercialization powerhouse, committing more than $100 billion in loans to U.S.-based companies.
But with a new administration implementing sweeping cuts to the federal workforce, is all his work at risk? Or will market forces and the very real risk of blackouts keep clean energy innovation moving forward?
In this week’s episode of Cleaning Up, Shah shares how he turned the LPO into a driving force for clean technology deployment, and what lessons can be learned by policymakers, investors and entrepreneurs. He also offers a candid assessment of the opportunities and challenges across key sectors—from advanced nuclear to offshore to sustainable aviation fuels.
Listen to the full episode on YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform. Find a transcript at cleaningup.live.