The use of renewable energy resources continue 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.

POWER: Are companies moving away from sustainability targets in the current regulatory landscape, or are they simply calling them something else?

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.

POWER: Why do you believe current market conditions remain favorable for renewable energy buyers?

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.

POWER: In light of policy uncertainty, how can organizations make the most of the limited window for cost-effective clean energy deals while managing their impact on procurement timelines and decisions?

Margolin: The most important thing is getting internal teams aligned. The number one obstacle we see is lack of internal cohesion. Energy buyers need their sustainability group, facilities, procurement, accounting, finance, and tax teams aligned, ensuring everybody knows the objective and that all constraints and abilities are incorporated into a buying plan with C-Suite buy-in.

Once a client has internal alignment, we see the ability to move expeditiously through the process: quickly from opportunity identification to origination to negotiation to contracting to implementation. Many projects in the marketplace can come online in time to capture remaining federal tax credits. It’s a question of whether the client can organize quickly and engage in the process.

POWER: What approaches and strategies does ENGIE Impact use to help clients identify the best deals and lock in renewable energy contracts that hedge against future price volatility?

Margolin: First, we work with the client to understand not just sustainability goals, but how they operate: budgeting, financing, and planning horizons. It’s a conversation around goal setting and achievement.

Second is opportunity identification. We develop roadmaps and strategies where, once we understand their portfolio and operations, we present available marketplace options. This enables us to recommend three or four pathways worth pursuing.

Third, we work on internal buy-in, ensuring everyone understands different procurement tools, costs, and operational impacts. Once aligned, we move to origination, identifying transactable opportunities that fit the strategy.

Finally, we advocate for the client in negotiations, perform due diligence, conduct econometric analysis, and negotiate optimal terms. We manage implementation oversight and provide ongoing monitoring to ensure clients receive what they contracted for throughout the project’s operational life.

POWER: What are the risks associated with delaying procurement? (e.g., higher compliance costs, other financial challenges)

Margolin: The biggest risk right now is losing incentive opportunities. Federal investment and production tax credits are being phased out, and to qualify before they’re eliminated, you need projects that meet certain deadlines. Delays risk missing incentives, which could drive project costs significantly higher.

Beyond incentives, the longer corporate energy buyers delay incorporating renewables into their strategy, the greater their exposure to rising energy prices. The universal expectation across energy markets is that prices are increasing for all sources: renewables, gas, coal, and nuclear. The longer you wait, the greater exposure to both rising and volatile prices.

POWER: Should existing wind or solar power purchase agreements be renegotiated as conditions evolve?

Margolin: It’s difficult to make blanket statements since this depends on individual contracts and projects. What’s important for buyers is monitoring market conditions and forecasts. Energy buyers should understand where markets are heading, then evaluate existing contracts for any that might work against them.

We work closely with clients to understand why energy prices are projected to increase. You need to understand all the contributing factors, not just accept that prices will rise. While that may be the prevailing view, you must also understand the risks to that perspective and position yourself to hedge or leverage both upside and downside opportunities.

POWER: Are clients working to expedite the signing of more deals in 2025 to meet the accelerated deadline for project starts?

Margolin: Absolutely. Companies with aligned internal teams that are already in renewable energy procurement or ready to go are viewing this as go time. There’s definite urgency, primarily due to tax credit expirations.

Projects beginning construction before July 4, 2026, can qualify for full tax credits. Projects that can’t meet that deadline but come online by end of 2027 can still qualify. The rush is to secure projects with prospects of being online or under construction to capture those credits.

Many developers are positioned to meet these deadlines with safeguarded equipment, established financing, labor forces, and permitting expertise. It’s very busy right now (matching developers with off-takers).

POWER: Do you foresee an uptick in clean energy storage projects and deals, given that they remain in favor?

Margolin: Absolutely. Storage makes sense and would see significant growth regardless of incentive structures because it smooths market volatility and provides arbitrage opportunities on power prices in certain markets.

Storage continues growing because it makes financial and operational sense, and it wasn’t disadvantaged by policy changes like wind and solar were. The storage space is also benefiting from technological developments. Beyond traditional batteries, we’re seeing impressive improvements in costs, reliability, durability, and reduced use of precious materials.

We’re also seeing evolution beyond batteries: pumped air, pumped hydro, molten materials for heat storage, and gravity storage. This diverse storage ecosystem has taken off in Asian markets and we expect U.S. deployment as well.

POWER: What makes you hopeful about the future of clean energy procurement despite the policy headwinds?

Margolin: Renewables aren’t going away. If demand grows as projected, we must add new generation. When you examine all forms of energy generation we can add to the grid, renewables win in almost every parameter: lowest cost energy in most markets, fastest to grid, healthiest supply chains, and flexibility to tailor procurement strategies.

Renewables offer flexibility to detach from the grid or operate semi-attached, providing distributed generation opportunities other technologies lack. When you evaluate the entire suite of criteria for new energy sources, renewables continue leading.

The policy environment will make renewable energy more expensive, but it will still be the most cost-advantageous with all the other advantages discussed. We’re still adding renewables; they’ll just cost more.

POWER: What role do you see corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments playing in accelerating procurement decisions this year?

Margolin: It’s still a major role, though diminished compared to 2020-2024. It remains significant because investors, employees, and shareholders value sustainability, not for feel-good reasons, but because investors and pension fund managers recognize sustainability as value-adding.

It improves business operations, provides insulation from volatility, and reduces risks from climate change, geopolitics, and market volatility. Over the past 15 years, the financial community has broadly recognized that sustainability translates to optimal performance.

While less publicized recently, it hasn’t disappeared, and I don’t expect it will because underlying fundamentals haven’t changed. Companies with high pollution or emissions footprints are still seen as generating waste, which isn’t favorable for operations.

POWER: Can you share an example of how a client successfully secured a deal that both improved returns and future-proofed compliance?

Margolin: We worked with a large government agency with greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for 2030, 2045, and 2050. We helped them procure on-site solar systems for dozens of portfolio properties at rates that save money compared to staying with their utility.

They’re saving money, reducing emissions, and hardening against grid and market volatility while moving significantly closer to meeting their emissions reduction goals. This demonstrates how renewable procurement can simultaneously address financial, operational, and compliance objectives.

—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.