Switched On Finding Opportunity in a Complex Energy Transition
Mar 31, 2026
Kobad Bhavnagri, BloombergNEF head of strategy, reads BNEF’s Davos briefing and outlines market shifts. He covers geopolitics and tech disruption, tariffs versus cheap Chinese clean tech, India’s solar and battery push, AI data-center power demands, EV charging investment, storage and metals risks, and new models for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors.
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Trade Tensions Are Reshaping Cleantech Deployment
- Geopolitics and trade protectionism are reshaping cleantech costs and supply chains while cheap Chinese exports keep global deployment growing.
- Tariffs raise prices and force supply-chain rerouting, but Chinese firms expand exports into emerging markets, boosting renewables uptake.
Emerging Markets Tap Chinese Cleantech While Building Local Supply
- Cheap Chinese cleantech exports accelerate deployment in emerging markets even as some governments push onshoring to build local industry.
- India's solar cell ban and announced 69 GW/yr cell capacity show policy can drive rapid local upstream growth.
AI Data Centers Are Driving A New Power Crunch
- AI data centers could triple global electricity demand share by 2035, creating massive grid pressure and opportunities for new power solutions.
- Examples include 200 GW of grid connection requests in Texas and PPAs using gas with CCS from Google and Meta.