Recently, I found it interesting to compare UK and US policies by looking at two Financial Times articles published at roughly the same time: Donald Trump’s attacks on renewables sector quash nearly $19bn worth of projects UK green power surges with record approvals for new renewable energy capacity The first article focuses on criticism of the US administration’s decision to cut investments in new renewable projects while simultaneously trying to ensure the availability of cheap energy for the growing AI industry. According to the article, clean energy projects worth $18.6bn have been cancelled this year, compared with just $827mn in 2024, based on data from Atlas Public Policy’s Clean Economy Tracker. Investment announcements also fell by nearly 20%, to $15.8bn this year, down from $20.9bn in the same period of 2024. The article stresses that while demand for energy to power the AI boom will continue to rise, the US risks permanently damaging its renewables sector, which often provides the cheapest and fastest energy source to deploy. The UK-focused article, in contrast, praises the government’s efforts to support renewable energy growth. More than 16.1 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity received planning permission in the second quarter of this year, representing… continue reading