Factor This This Week in Cleantech (03/06/2026) - Is the MAGA movement warming up to solar?
Mar 6, 2026
Evan Halper, investigative reporter for The Washington Post who covers energy and politics. He walks through why some MAGA influencers are warming to solar. The conversation touches on politics, economics, and how data centers and affordability are reshaping Republican attitudes. Short, topical, and timely.
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Renewables Growing Because They're Cheaper
- The green transition is still progressing largely on economics rather than politics.
- Cheap solar and falling battery costs mean >90% of new global capacity 2025–2030 will be renewable, per IEA cited by Paul Gerke.
Geopolitics Still Drives Energy Price Shocks
- Middle East conflict can tighten global fuel markets and raise U.S. gas and LNG prices quickly.
- Shipping chokepoints like the Straits of Hormuz and insurer reactions drove 10¢ higher US pump prices and big LNG spikes in Asia/Europe.
Data Centers Are Rewriting Utility M&A
- AI and hyperscale data center load growth is reshaping M&A in the power sector.
- AES's $33.4B take-private reflects private capital chasing regulated cash flows plus fast-growing contracted supply for hyperscalers.