This 2026 outlook highlights five key trends shaping the year ahead, along with associated risks and opportunities, and actionable strategies. Policy shifts: Adapting to a changing energy landscape Policy changes in 2025 may worsen compressed timelines and raise costs, reshaping. . The new tax law, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, rolled back many clean energy tax credits and imposed new restrictions, pressuring early-stage wind and solar pipelines. Wind and solar investments in the first half of 2025 fell 18%, to nearly US$35 billion (prior to the. . Prospective utility-scale solar and wind capacity — projects that have been announced or are in the pre-construction and construction phases — grew by over 20% globally in 2024 from 3. 4 TW, only half of what is needed for global tripling renewable goals. Outside of China and. . In our latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), we expect U. electricity generation will grow by 1. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File) Worldwide solar and wind. .