Trump Or No Trump, Right here Comes The International Photo voltaic Trade

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The worldwide photo voltaic trade is placing up the clear kilowatts at a document tempo, the most recent instance being a supersized 1-gigawatt solar-plus-storage venture within the United Arab Emirates, aimed toward delivering photo voltaic vitality on a dependable, baseload-worthy, 24/7 foundation. To gild the inexperienced lily, the system is designed to be copied all around the world, pushing fossil fuels out of the facility technology image. In the meantime, US President Donald Trump has been pouring all his vitality into…constructing a ballroom. Sure, a ballroom.

The International Photo voltaic Trade Rocketing Upwards

To be honest, constructing a ballroom feels like plenty of enjoyable, and President Trump may use a break from a really busy 12 months. He has been working nonstop for months, notably regarding the US offshore wind trade. In spite of everything, it takes a variety of effort to torpedo a whole home tradeand there are nonetheless some remaining shreds of exercise to stomp on.

A lot for the US offshore wind trade. Onshore wind and photo voltaic exercise have additionally suffered setbacks underneath Trump’s “American Vitality Dominance” plan. Even so, the info don’t lie. The Worldwide Renewable Vitality Company affirms the verifiable undeniable fact that wind and photo voltaic are probably the most reasonably priced, accessible, and economically useful vitality assets obtainable as we speak.

The worldwide photo voltaic trade has been notably adept at choosing up the tempo of renewable vitality. “Photo voltaic technology grew by 306 TWh (+31%) within the first half of 2025, its quickest absolute progress on document,” the vitality information platform Ember notes.

“If this tempo continues, photo voltaic is on monitor to stay the fastest-growing supply of electrical energy for the twenty first consecutive 12 months and to outpace wind progress in absolute phrases for the fourth 12 months in a row,” the group provides.

The UAE Photo voltaic Trade Blows A Big Raspberry At US President Trump

Details, schmacts. President Trump workout routines energy by imposing his personal alternate actuality, drilled into the collective consciousness of the general public with laser-sharp precision throughout his Cupboard. US Inside Secretary Doug Burgum, for instance, has declared that that vitality storage doesn’t even exist. Agriculture Secretary Sue Rollins can’t inform the distinction between photo voltaic panels and buildings. Vitality Secretary Chris Wright has additionally registered his two cents, insisting that “(w)ind and photo voltaic vitality infrastructure is actually nugatory when it’s darkish outdoors, and the wind will not be blowing.”

Into this image steps the United Arab Emirates. A seven-member federation of highly effective oil and gasoline producers, the UAE nonetheless served as host of the twenty eighth United Nations Convention of Events on local weather change. Happening in UAE member Dubai in 2023, COP28 produced the UAE Consensus, described as “an unprecedented reference to transitioning away from all fossil fuels in vitality techniques, in a simply, orderly and equitable method on this important decade to allow the world to succeed in web zero emissions by 2050, in line with the science.”

As if to tug President Trump together with Secretaries Burgum, Rollins, and Wright multi functional blow, earlier as we speak the UAE introduced that vitality storage truly does exist in house and time, and it’s coming to drink your fossil gas milkshake.

“UAE Breaks Floor on World’s First Gigascale Spherical-the-Clock Renewable Vitality Undertaking, Setting a New International Customary For Clear Vitality,” reads the headline of a press assertion circulated earlier as we speak by Masdar, the UAE’s sustainable vitality showcase firm, referring to the 5.2 gigawatt solar energy plant built-in with a BESS (battery vitality storage system) of 19 gigawatt-hours within the $6 billion venture.

In case anybody over within the White Home (or, what’s left of it) missed the message, Masdar emphasizes that the the venture delivers the very same baseload reliability championed by Trump’s “American Vitality Dominance coverage.” The corporate states that the venture will ship 1 gigawatt of “baseload renewable vitality across the clock.”

International Photo voltaic Trade To US: You Ain’t Seen Nothing But

Within the press assertion asserting the brand new venture, your entire UAE did all however level and chuckle at US President Donald Trump and his reality-denying appointees.

“Masdar and Emirates Water and Electrical energy Firm (EWEC), reimagines the potential of renewable vitality by overcoming the barrier of intermittency,” Masdar explains.

“By producing gigascale baseload vitality at a globally aggressive tariff for the primary time, the venture units a brand new worldwide benchmark and reaffirms the UAE’s management place in renewable vitality growth,” the agency explains once more.

Twisting the knife just a bit bit extra, Masdar additionally affirms that the system is designed with the worldwide photo voltaic trade in thoughts, stating that “the venture will act as a blueprint that may be replicated internationally to satisfy the rising demand for clear, safe, round the clock energy.”

The corporate’s CEO, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, additionally chipped in his two cents relating to the baseload-worthiness of photo voltaic vitality. He described the venture as “a blueprint for the world, demonstrating that renewable vitality might be dispatched across the clock.”

Ballroom-Builder Casts The US Photo voltaic Trade Apart

To gild the inexperienced lily with yet one more layer of inexperienced, Masdar’s new venture additionally demonstrates that the worldwide photo voltaic trade can ship electrical energy quicker, and extra economically, than every other vitality trade. Masdar expects the power to be operation by 2027, which is simply across the nook.

When it comes to authorities help, Masdar additional notes that the venture has the enthusiastic endorsement of UAE coverage makers on the highest stage, together with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Government Council.

Their Highnesses! No surprise President Trump is obsessive about the development of an unlimited ballroom on the grounds of the White Home. He can’t declare the title of “His Highness,” however he can construct a glitzy, gold-drenched ballroom worthy of the best palaces on the earth.

If the ballroom ever will get constructed, that’s. Thus far, the venture has solely employed a smattering of demolition specialists, who demolished your entire East Wing of the White Home briefly order.

In the meantime, Masdar notes that its new 1-gigawatt renewable vitality venture alone will generate 10,000 new jobs for the UAE, factoring in part manufacturing jobs and repair jobs together with the precise development work, whereas supporting the UAE targets of financial diversification management within the AI sector, too.

The outlook is considerably gloomier for the US photo voltaic trade and associated jobs in vitality storage, manufacturing, and the like. Nonetheless, Trump has an extended method to go earlier than he can utterly snuff out the demand for electrical energy. The wind will maintain blowing and the solar will maintain shining lengthy after Trump leaves workplace as scheduled on January 20, 2029 — peacefully one hopes, this time.

Photo voltaic builders within the US are already gearing up for a contemporary burst of exercise within the years following. That features the US department of Masdar, which has expressed a goal of 25 gigawatts within the US over the subsequent 10 years. The corporate states that it already has a 5.8-gigawatt US renewable vitality portfolio underneath its belt. Maintain on to your hats…

Picture (cropped): The worldwide photo voltaic trade is cranking in control with an help from fashionable vitality storage expertise, to attain baseload, 24/7 reliability on the gigawatt scale (cropped, courtesy of Masdar).