Jigar Shah on Clean Energy’s Next Chapter

Age of Adoption

Could populist sentiment actually accelerate clean energy adoption by fueling energy independence desires?
Jigar Shah, widely considered a pioneer of the modern clean energy revolution, joins the Age of Adoption podcast to share his remarkable journey from mechanical engineer to industry transformer. As the former Director of the DOE's Loan Programs Office, Shah expanded loan authority from $40 billion to $400 billion, announcing 53 deals totaling $107 billion in committed project investment. His leadership helped boost US clean energy investment from $111 billion in 2020 to $236 billion in 2023. "I think it's deployment, right? And I think innovation actually follows deployment," Shah explains, outlining his deploy-first philosophy that has guided his career from revolutionizing solar financing at SunEdison to his current work at Multiplier.

In this compelling conversation, Shah addresses the intersection of populism and clean energy adoption, arguing that market forces will ultimately prevail over political headwinds. He reveals seeing unprecedented rooftop solar adoption and notes that "the folks who are closing financings are solar, not natural gas plants." Now focused on ensuring clean energy entrepreneurs "get paid" through his advisory firm Multiplier, Shah tackles the critical challenge of retention in the industry. Why does this matter? As Shah puts it: "I want them to stay in our industry because I think it's essential to tackling the climate problem." What obstacles are preventing companies from scaling successful pilots into fleet-wide deployments? How can the clean energy movement maintain momentum despite political uncertainty?

Jigar Shah is widely considered one of the pioneers of the modern clean energy revolution. As the founder of SunEdison, he revolutionized the solar industry by inventing the power purchase agreement model, allowing customers to adopt solar without upfront costs. Shah most recently served as Director of the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, where he expanded loan authority from $40 billion to $400 billion and announced 53 deals totaling $107 billion in committed project investment. His leadership helped boost US clean energy investment from $111 billion in 2020 to $236 billion in 2023. Now founder of Multiplier, an advisory firm focused on helping clean energy entrepreneurs achieve successful exits, Shah continues his mission to deploy clean energy solutions at scale while ensuring the industry retains its top talent.
In This Episode:

(00:00) Introduction and Jigar Shah's revolutionary clean energy journey

(04:25) Career origins from wind turbines to BP Solar foundation

(08:16) SunEdison power purchase agreements and Carbon War Room years

(10:57) DOE Loan Programs Office expansion and current Multiplier work

(17:47) Deploy first philosophy and ensuring entrepreneurs get paid

(21:01) Closing thoughts on industry collaboration and future focus

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About the show:

The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of climate tech research and innovation – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously adopting climate solutions - the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age. Access more curated content on the subject by visiting, www.ageofadoption.com.

This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, an award-winning integrated marketing, public relations, public affairs and digital agency that partners with the world’s most exciting and disruptive companies across cleantech, mobility, real estate, healthcare, and emerging B2B tech sectors. Our clients are transformational and distinguished corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits that are at the bleeding edge of the Age of Adoption. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.

Resources:
Jigar Shah LinkedIn
Watt it Takes Podcast
Antenna Group
Age of Adoption Website
Keith Zakheim LinkedIn