Even with sweeping changes in federal clean energy policy and politics over the last few months, the US remains well-positioned to advance its clean energy transition. Technologies are mature. Capital is available. Public and private sector alignment is growing.
At Confluence Philanthropy’s recent Climate Town Hall, leaders from climate finance, community development, and philanthropy aligned around this core idea: the future of the US energy transition is not aspirational – it is operational. Participants agreed that what is needed today is coordinated leadership and targeted investment. Here are a few other key takeaways:
The US Clean Energy Pipeline is Ready
Solar, storage, and distributed renewable projects in the US are ready to scale today. The last few years of federal clean energy investment have produced a strong pipeline of projects, technologies, and capital ready for deployment. Even amid federal funding rollbacks, the pipeline remains robust. As John Balbach, Director, Impact Investments at the MacArthur Foundation put it, “The energy transition is inevitable... the challenge is speed and equity… and there are incredible projects queued up in the pipeline ready to go”.
Clean Energy Deployment is an Affordability *and* Community Development Strategy
Clean energy deployment is both the most cost-effective solution to meet rising electricity demand and a smart way for communities across the US to invest in their workforce and economic base. Richard Kauffman, CEO of the Coalition for Green Capital commented, “clean energy is not at all stalled, [it’s moving forward] because of the economics. Increasing demand for electricity is creating questions on how to get electricity onto the grid more quickly [and] the impact on customer rates. The fastest and arguably cheapest way to bring electricity on the grid is renewables”.
Invest in Systemic Change *and* Projects
Clean energy projects and communities are ready – but they need robust, systemic infrastructure to create the conditions necessary for accelerating the flow of capital, as well as driving necessary policy and regulatory change. Organizational partnerships and networks, new narratives, and technical assistance are already in place. Eva Hernandez, CEO of Mosaic, emphasized, “Decarbonizing our economy will require an all-in approach - change in policy, change in regulation, change in how resources and capital flow through our communities. To get there, we need a level of cross-sectoral partnerships and power at the scale of the problem we are trying to solve”.
So, What are the Next Steps?
Leaders and communities across the US can actively accelerate our clean energy transition today with these next steps:
- Fund the gap. Grant funding remains the most catalytic form of capital. Use it to unlock stalled projects and support intermediaries that can move money quickly.
- Reduce soft costs. Installation and customer origination remain expensive. Leverage networks to reduce friction and accelerate deployment.
- Act with urgency. Regulatory deadlines are approaching. Projects must secure safe harbor before 2026. The window is narrowing – capital must move now.
- Support collaborative funds. Pooled resources are demonstrating scalable impact. Invest in community and social infrastructure that endures.
In Conclusion, the US Clean Energy Transition Needs *You* Now
Let’s move from momentum to acceleration. The US clean energy transition is happening now. The moment demands *you*.