Martha MuirAug 20, 2026 – 4.00pmLondon | Donald Trump is presiding over an unexpected clean energy boom, as rising electricity demand spurs investment in new capacity despite the US administration’s efforts to thwart a solar and wind rollout.Clean energy additions will rise by a record 45 gigawatts this year, according to S&P Global Energy – equivalent to the average electricity demand of Turkey. The increase is roughly 25 per cent higher than the previous record set in 2024.Financial TimesSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
Trump tried to curb clean energy. It’s booming anyway
The war in Iran, surging power demand from AI data centres and developers’ rush to capitalise on expiring tax credits are driving the cleantech boom.






