Corporate Buyers Log 13.4 GW Clean Energy Q1 2026
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Corporate Energy Buyers Association reported that companies contracted 13.4 GW of clean energy capacity in Q1 2026, surpassing the total contracted in all of 2021.
- Rich Powell, CEO of the association, said the first half of 2026 may be unusually strong as developers race to qualify projects for expiring wind and solar tax credits under One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires projects to begin construction by July 4 or begin operation by the end of 2027 to qualify for the tax credits.
- Corporate Energy Buyers Association changed its name in March from “Clean Energy Buyers Association” to “Corporate,” yet it still excludes conventional natural gas from its “clean” definition.
- Corporate Energy Buyers Association reports that contracting for clean, firm power technologies—including advanced nuclear, geothermal, and natural gas paired with carbon capture—has reached Q1 2026 levels that almost match the total clean, firm power contracted in all of 2025.
- Corporate Energy Buyers Association says the AI boom is driving corporate demand for clean energy, prompting firms to secure power for AI workloads and to lock in expiring tax incentives.
Why it matters: Corporate demand for clean power is accelerating, giving developers a narrow window to qualify projects before the July 4 construction deadline, while the exclusion of natural gas from the 'clean' definition limits its role in meeting corporate targets. The surge also underscores AI's energy intensity and the urgency of leveraging expiring tax incentives.
Ask SkimNews
