The US midterm election results has brought back hope for renewables after the Trump administration's "attacks" on clean energy, according to a sustainable energy executive.
Coupled with sky-high fuel prices, the adoption of renewable energy is likely to further increase, Jeremy Crane, chief executive of Emirati solar energy company Yellow Door Energy told The National.
“Clean energy has been under attack by the US administration over the last couple of years,” he said at the Abu Dhabi energy conference Adipec.
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The four-day Adipec event is bringing together industry leaders, ministers and investors in Abu Dhabi amid heightened concerns over energy security and global supply disruption. All photos: Victor Besa / The National -
Energy company representatives converge at Adnec on the first day of Adipec -
One of Adnoc's displays in the exhibition. It features about 2,260 exhibiting companies -
BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, Eni, ExxonMobil, Chevron and Occidental Petroleum are among the major energy companies listed as exhibitors -
One of Adnoc's displays at the Ai area. They are exhibiting alongside technology and industrial groups including Siemens, IBM and Microsoft -
Adnoc Robotics display at the Ai area. The event is held under the patronage of President Sheikh Mohamed and hosted by Adnoc -
Global energy leaders are exploring the partnerships, projects and technologies shaping the future of energy production, trade and delivery -
The four-day gathering has been held annually in Abu Dhabi since 1984 -
This year, AI is central to the conversation -
Energy security, electricity demand and the financing of new infrastructure are also expected to feature heavily in discussions -
The Tokas 5 by Gecko Robotics -
At this year's Adipec, a delegation of companies from Wales are looking to create partnerships in the UAE to boost energy sector growth -
Emirati engineers look at an oil refinery diorama at the NMDC Group pavilion -
A robot shows off some dance moves to the crowd -
The Teledyne Gavia Autonomous Underwater Vehicle on display at the NMDC Group pavilion -
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of industry and Advanced Technology, is shown one of Covestro's pipeline systems
In July, the US President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that repealed over $500 billion slated for clean energy investments, just one of many pro-fossil-fuel actions during his second term. A report by E2 found that the US clean energy workforce lost almost 37,000 jobs in 2025.
With Democrats winning control of the House and the Senate during the midterms, a shift in policy is expected.
“We're optimistic. I'm hoping that as the currents change in the US, we might see a renewed tailwind for renewables, and I hope that Cop 31 will be a showcase for that,” Mr Crane said.
Sustainable energy will take centre stage at the United Nations' 31st Climate Conference (Cop 31), which runs from November 9-20 in Antalya, Turkey.
“I'll be watching the headlines, the agreements that are signed, and the rhetoric to hopefully see a renewed view that clean energy is a very important part of the future for our world and the Middle East,” Mr Crane added.
With the Iran war disrupting oil and gas supplies globally, Yellow Door Energy's services are becoming more relevant, he said.
“More and more businesses are looking to generate what they need, where they need it,” Mr Crane said.
“If you can generate power on your premise, not be subject to the need to import fuel, not be subject to potential threats to grids, that's a big advantage. Coupling solar with storage is a way to expand that and provide additional resiliency to whatever might come.”
Due to the war, the company has had construction delays as well as assets stuck in ports, which forced a rerouting of its logistics network. However, its energy facilities have not experienced any direct fallout.
“We have been enormously fortunate that because of our business model of distributing our assets, and having them where the consumption takes place, we've seen virtually no impact on all of our operating sites,” Mr Crane said.
“In terms of operating assets, we've seen little to no delay, and we expect that to continue regardless of what the future holds.”
Bright prospects
Yellow Door Energy, which currently has 500 megawatts of solar projects in the Middle East and Africa, expects continued growth in 2027.
“Saudi Arabia is a large and growing market for us,” Mr Crane said. “We've got our first projects under construction in Qatar for logistics company GWC, that's been a big portfolio growth.”
It is also boosting business in Abu Dhabi, working with companies like Aldar and PureHealth.
Outside the region, South Africa is a vital market, with up to three projects expected to hit financial close before the end of the year.
“We're blessed to be in a strong business financial position as the region goes through some volatility,” Mr Crane said.
Looking ahead, he is “very optimistic” about the role that the UAE will play in energy transition.
“The targets set here [in the UAE] for decarbonising the grid, for bringing in clean energy, are driven first and foremost by economics,” he said.
“We're now seeing the UAE also being a showcase for resilience and trying to bring the latest technologies, storage, demand management into the grid as a fantastic role model for the region and the world.”
