Solar and batteries are thriving — even in Trump’s America | Zero: The Climate Race

The common narrative is that the US renewables industry is struggling. But that’s not the case for the whole sector. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Kevin Smith, chief executive officer of Cypress Creek Energy, which recently secured $3.5 billion in financing to build one of the biggest solar and battery projects in the US. Even as the current American administration dismantles clean-energy policies, Smith sees a bright future for solar and batteries. Explore further: Big US Solar and Battery Project Lines Up $3.5 Billion Financing - Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-11/big-us-solar-and-battery-project-lines-up-3-5-billion-financing) Biggest US Wind Project Nears Completion With SunZia Wind Farm in New Mexico - Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-19/biggest-us-wind-project-is-due-to-come-online-next-month) Trump Erases Another $765 Million in Offshore Wind Leases - Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-17/trump-to-pay-invenergy-to-cancel-offshore-wind-power-leases) Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Sharon Chen and Laura Millan. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green (https://www.bloomberg.com/green). See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. Zero is about the tactics and technologies taking us to a world of zero emissions. Each week Bloomberg’s award-winning reporter Akshat Rathi talks to the people tackling climate change – a venture capitalist hunting for the best cleantech investment, scientists starting companies, politicians who have successfully created climate laws, and CEOs who have completely transformed their businesses. The road to zero emissions has many paths and everyone’s got an opinion about the best route. Listen in. Listen to more episodes of Zero: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0MtnA98Xp8igGT9S3Na_zDD Subscribe to Bloomberg Podcasts: https://bit.ly/BloombergPodcasts Visit us: https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts Follow Bloomberg Podcasts on Twitter: https://twitter.com/podcasts Visit our other YouTube channels: Bloomberg Television: https://www.youtube.com/@markets Bloomberg Originals: https://www.youtube.com/bloomberg Quicktake: https://www.youtube.com/@BloombergQuicktake For coverage on news, markets and more: http://www.bloomberg.com/video #Climate #News #Podcast