Ira Herbst

For Renewable Energy, a Painful Transition to Maturity

Stephen Gatto, Arno Harris, Peter Rothstein, Eric Spiegel, Howard Wenger, Joel Kurtzman, David Carr, Paul Tullis, Claire Tram, Ira Herbst, Ed White

Renewable energy is rapidly displacing traditional sources, with wind and solar leading U.S. capacity growth while facing an industrialized landscape defined by significant consolidation and fierce international competition. Driven by a tenfold reduction in photovoltaic costs and strategic partnerships like the $12 billion wind backlog held by Siemens, differentiated technology providers are achieving profitability despite market volatility. Simultaneously, grid modernization efforts are integrating natural gas as a flexible partner and advancing storage solutions to support a future where the central question is no longer the viability of renewables, but the scale of their global penetration.