Investing

Renewable deals start to flow in wake of Biden climate deal

David Callaway

Published: August 31, 2022 4:04 am

Last Updated: August 31, 2022 10:04 am

In today’s issue:

— Two weeks after Biden signs IRA, pent-up deal demand starts to roll.

— Can contra-rotating turbines spin a new era for offshore wind power?

— As European energy crisis deepens, Brussels considers a once unthinkable solution.

— The list of top companies committed to zero waste in landfills may surprise you.

Two weeks after President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate change bill in U.S. history, the uncertainty removed in the market about America’s new climate ambitions has started to yield real investment.

Honda $HMC and LG Energy Solution announced intentions yesterday to build a new, $4.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in the next three years, likely somewhere near Honda plants in the Midwest. The deal brings Honda into the EV race in the U.S. along with Ford $F , General Motors $GM and Hyundai, among others.

First Solar $FSLR , the largest U.S. solar panel maker, said this morning it will spend $1.2 billion expanding its manufacturing facilities and supply chains in the country, including a new plant in the Southeast. The Department of Energy awarded $540 million to more than four dozen universities and national labs for clean energy research, particularly into carbon storage and removal.

And even Warren Buffett is getting in on the action, in his own, old-school way. His Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B, BRK.A) has raised its stake in Occidental Petroleum $OXY , which although an oil company, last week announced plans to build the largest direct air carbon capture plant in the world. Hey, there’s money in Biden’s IRA for oil company transition also.

The surge in deals, despite renewed weakness in financial markets in the past few weeks, is an encouraging signal to Washington and other governments that private markets will follow smart public policy when it creates the conditions for investment and profit. We’ll continue to provide updates as more deals develop.

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