Biden Hasn’t Done Anything to Help Renewables, Solar CEO Says
(Bloomberg) -- The Biden administration has a “burning desire” to support renewable energy, but has little to show for it, says Sunnova Energy International Inc.'s top executive.
“I don't see anything that's been done,” John Berger, who heads one of the largest U.S. residential solar companies, said Tuesday in an interview. “And that's the only thing that matters.”
President Joe Biden entered the White House in January last year, aiming to put the U.S. on a path to fully green power grids by 2035. Some industry advocates contend that his administration risks slowing the growth of solar power by blocking some imports over concerns about forced labor in China. (Sunnova has said it has taken steps to ensure it sources equipment from ethical suppliers.) And the U.S. Commerce Department initiated a probe last week into whether Chinese solar-equipment manufacturers are skirting tariffs.
Read: U.S. solar group says tariff probe is causing delayed deliveries
“We certainly have not seen an improvement” in policies since Donald Trump's presidency, Berger said. Trump imposed separate duties on imported solar. “That's not a good track record.”
The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
A bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law last year included billions of dollars for electric-vehicle chargers and power grids. But Biden hasn't managed to push through his landmark climate package that would extend key tax credits for solar and create a standalone incentive for battery storage -- things Berger expected to have been done by now.
“The administration and the Democratic Party still want all those things, but they haven't happened yet,” Berger said. “We're kind of running out of time” before the midterm congressional elections later this year.
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
-
Talking Points This Week: Tech Nerves, FII Buying, And A Faraway Banking Shock
The global markets are not shining this Diwali. The exception in the large markets is, India.
-
Midterm Rally Lasted A Day. The Hard Reality Of A Divided US May Last Two Years | Opinion
Between a contested AI boom, a debt ceiling that arrives in 2027 and a president with every incentive to act alone, the next two years may prove more volatile than the first day's rally suggests.
-
Blue Wave Will Derail the AI Trade but Won't Dismantle the AI Era | Unhedged Position
The Democrats' sweep of the US Congress will see politics collide with economic forces both over the long and short term.
-
It's Time To Take The GST Council's Bet On Trust Global
Payment records can prove India's services exports, and clear, proportionate rules can bring foreign digital sellers into the tax net.
-
Opinion | India at 38: From Innovation Overperformer to Innovation Powerhouse
India now has 453 VC-backed deep science startups, 18 of them late-stage, after 117 percent growth since 2020. Laurus Labs, at USD 9.3 billion, is the most valuable deep science company in any middle-income economy outside China.
-
Navigating Energy Crossroads: S Jaishankar's Call For Diversified Supply Chains At G20 Ministerial Meeting
As geopolitical fault lines continue to test maritime trade routes and commodity flows, Jaishankar's message remains pertinent: true economic resilience requires open markets, protected transit lines, and a genuine commitment to multilateral cooperation rather than coercion.
-
Indians Are Travelling, But Not Every Journey Is A Holiday | The Week In Whys
Pilgrims, patients and working women are the real travellers, and the system hasn't quite caught up with them.
-
Getting To Work Costs Women More | The Reason Why
It is not just about women paying more than men. It is about women paying much more in cities than in villages.
-
AI Bias In Investing Cannot Be Eliminated, But It Can Be Governed
Framing is a particularly important example as identical financial information presented in terms of gains rather than losses can lead an LLM to reach a different assessment.
