Why renewables growth won’t go away under Trump

The rise of data centers and their quest for renewable energy to power AI technology will boost the growth of renewables even under President Donald Trump, the Americas head of Japan’s biggest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, told Reuters.

“The new administration will be more constructive on fossil fuels, but that doesn’t mean renewables go away,” Kevin Cronin, Regional Executive and CEO for The Americas at MUFG, said in an interview.

Surging demand from data centers will boost renewables growth in America and projects will continue to be developed as they take years and multiple election cycles from the planning to the operational stage, according to Cronin.

There have been concerns in the renewables sector that it would suffer under Trump who has vowed to rescind many of the climate and clean energy policies of President Joe Biden.

Trump’s transition team is said to be preparing radical changes to U.S. policy toward electric vehicles and tailpipe emissions. These could include axing the EV incentives and the government mandate for federal EV fleets, and rolling back the Biden Administration’s rules on tailpipe emissions and fuel economy standards, Reuters reported earlier this week, citing a draft document it has seen.

In a sign of what the energy industry can expect, Trump last month picked a shale boss, Chris Wright, chief executive of Liberty Energy, as his nomination to lead the Department of Energy.

The nomination of Doug Burgum, the Governor of North Dakota, to be the interior secretary and head of a new National Energy Council at the White House, is also a signal to the industry that America’s leadership in fossil fuel production and exports is also high on Trump’s agenda.

Read also: Nigeria to electrify 3,700+ healthcare centres with renewables

“The common thread in the thinking on energy expressed by both Wright and Burgum is that they want to boost production of all types of energy, including fossil fuels,” commented Ed Crooks, Senior Vice President, Americas, at Wood Mackenzie.

Abuja in darkness as vandals attack Shiroro-Katampe transmission line

Some parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have been thrown into darkness as vandals, again, destroyed the 330-kilovolt Shiroro-Katampe Transmission Line.

Ndidi Mbah, TCN spokesperson, disclosed the disruption on their official X (formerly Twitter) page, stating that it occurred at approximately 11:43 PM.

She further explained that the 330kV Shiroro–Katampe circuit experienced an outage in the power supply, and despite attempting a trial reclosure, the line tripped again immediately.

In an investigation carried out by a TCN line patrol team dispatched from the Abuja Regional Office, it was discovered that the vandals had stolen part of the conductor between towers T216 and T218.

“The TCN lines maintenance crew has since mobilized to the site and is working assiduously to replace the vandalized 330kV power conductor. Restoration of bulk power supply through the affected line is expected soon.”

“We appeal to the general public to assist in identifying and reporting suspicious activities around power transmission infrastructure. Your vigilance and cooperation are crucial in helping us to prevent acts of vandalism or apprehend the culprits.” She stated

This year has seen a troubling rise in vandalism targeting Nigeria’s critical infrastructure. In response, the Federal Government has already spent an alarming N8.8 billion on repairing transmission towers destroyed by vandals highlighting the significant economic burden of recurring infrastructure damage.

Instead of investing in the expansion and modernization of the power sector, the government is forced to allocate resources to address the damage caused by these destructive acts.

These substantial repair costs are diverting much-needed funds away from essential development projects, further hindering efforts to strengthen the national grid and improve electricity access across the country.

As more funds are spent on repairs, the ability to improve and stabilize the electricity supply becomes increasingly difficult, prolonging the challenges of unreliable power supply across the country.