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The use of renewable energy resources continues to grow worldwide, despite some governments—including the Trump administration in the U.S.—pushing back on the use of solar, wind, and other forms of cleaner energy. The SUN DAY Campaign in late August said its review of recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) revealed that solar provided almost 9% of total U.S. electrical generation in the first half of 2025. Wind and solar combined produced more than 20%, and the mix of all renewable energy resources generated nearly 28%.
Industry analysts have told POWER they expect renewables will remain important to U.S. power generation, though growth may be slower, while other countries such as China and much of Europe continue to ramp up their use of solar, wind, geothermal and more. It’s expected to be a major topic of conversation at the upcoming RE+ 2025 event in Las Vegas, Nevada, which begins September 8 and continues through September 11. POWER is partner of RE+ and will again have representatives at the conference. Renewable energy also will be part of important conversations at POWER’s Experience POWER event in Denver, Colorado, October 29 through October 31.
Rick Margolin is among industry experts with plenty to say about the future of renewable energy. Margolin is a director in the Renewables Advisory Group at ENGIE Impact, which Margolin said “supports clients in meeting their sustainability efforts through the use of renewables in the most economic and technically feasible manner.”
Margolin provided POWER with insight into how companies are approaching sustainability targets during a period of upheaval in the energy landscape, as government priorities around energy shift not only in the U.S. but also worldwide.
Margolin: While there have been a few high-profile retreats from sustainability initiatives, by and large we’re seeing firm commitment to previously stated sustainability targets among our client base, and in some cases actually a doubling down. The broad uncertainty that has emerged is placing clients in a position where they’re increasingly viewing renewables as a mechanism to insulate from anticipated increases in energy costs and volatility.
We’re seeing more clients look to renewables to lock in power prices, gain budgetary certainty, and increase reliability in energy supply as competition for energy becomes fierce and the ability to add new generation sources is constrained. Corporate sustainability commitments aren’t as publicized as they were in recent years, but we’re not seeing much substantive retreat; in some cases, we’re seeing increased commitment.
Margolin: The main reason is price: renewables in most markets offer some of the lowest cost energy available. Because renewables don’t have associated fuel costs, you can lock in your price and insulate yourself from the volatility that characterizes fuel-generated sources.
Second is expediency. Renewables are the fastest form of technology that can hit the market, with development times of 12 to 18 months depending on project type and size. Other utility-scale sources face major supply chain issues or technical development challenges with longer lead times.
Renewables also don’t obligate an energy buyer to be beholden to a utility. They offer flexibility that allows energy users to generate their own system or engage in power purchase contracts with renewables developers. The procurement opportunities are diverse and flexible, enabling energy buyers to tailor solutions to their energy usage, payment preferences, and budgetary constraints.
Additionally, many clients are publicly traded or backed by private equity where shareholders and investors still value sustainability and moving toward renewable energy sources. That pressure from stakeholders hasn’t abated, providing motivation beyond pure economics.
