Solar and storage account for 70% of all new capacity added to the electric grid in the first half of 2026, and the US now has enough solar capacity to power more than 50 million American homes, according to a recent report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie. On this week’s episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota and current president and CEO of SEIA, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence director of sustainable finance research, to discuss key findings from the group’s U.S. Solar Market Insight report. They discuss the strategic road map for scaling American solar and storage, bipartisan market reform, soaring power demand from data centers, grid interconnections and much more

Solar and storage account for 70% of all new capacity added to the electric grid in the first half of 2026, and the US now has enough solar capacity to power more than 50 million American homes, according to a recent report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie. On this week&rsquo;s episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota and current president and CEO of SEIA, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence director of sustainable finance research, to discuss key findings from the group&rsquo;s U.S. Solar Market Insight report. They discuss the strategic road map for scaling American solar and storage, bipartisan market reform, soaring power demand from data centers, grid interconnections and much more

Financial markets can no longer ignore the impacts of climate change, shifting consumer expectations, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. These forces are reshaping industries, redefining risk, and creating new opportunities for long-term value creation. Through conversations with industry leaders, investors, and subject-matter experts, we explore where sustainability is translating into measurable financial outcomes.

Financial markets can no longer ignore the impacts of climate change, shifting consumer expectations, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. These forces are reshaping industries, redefining risk, and creating new opportunities for long-term value creation. Through conversations with industry leaders, investors, and subject-matter experts, we explore where sustainability is translating into measurable financial outcomes.

Sustainability Currents

Tim Pawlenty on the US Solar Industry

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AI’s rapid expansion is turning data centers into critical economic and energy infrastructure — and creating one of sustainable finance’s fastest-growing markets. Sustainable debt tied to data centers has more than doubled since 2023 as operators tap green bonds, loans and securitized markets to fund hyperscale growth. On this episode of Sustainability Currents, Romina Reversi and Patricia De Pauw from Crédit Agricole CIB join Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti to explore how green financing is evolving alongside the AI infrastructure boom. The discussion examines rising power and water demand, grid constraints and community opposition, and why investors are increasingly looking beyond green labels to energy efficiency, clean-power sourcing, water use and asset-level performance. The conversation also considers whether sustainable finance can help fund the enormous data-center build-out while making projects more efficient, resilient and socially durable.

AI&rsquo;s rapid expansion is turning data centers into critical economic and energy infrastructure &mdash; and creating one of sustainable finance&rsquo;s fastest-growing markets. Sustainable debt tied to data centers has more than doubled since 2023 as operators tap green bonds, loans and securitized markets to fund hyperscale growth. On this episode of Sustainability Currents, Romina Reversi and Patricia De Pauw from Cr&eacute;dit Agricole CIB join Bloomberg Intelligence&rsquo;s Chris Ratti to explore how green financing is evolving alongside the AI infrastructure boom. The discussion examines rising power and water demand, grid constraints and community opposition, and why investors are increasingly looking beyond green labels to energy efficiency, clean-power sourcing, water use and asset-level performance. The conversation also considers whether sustainable finance can help fund the enormous data-center build-out while making projects more efficient, resilient and socially durable.

Green Finance Backs Data Centers

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0a0f4972-f871-423a-b306-b4d500c9cc7b/transcript

A recent analysis by PwC of more than 3,500 companies finds that eight in 10 held steady or accelerated the timeline for their climate targets, and more companies increased their decarbonization ambition than lowered it. On this week’s episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, David Linich, a PwC partner who leads the firm’s Decarbonization and Sustainable Operations offering, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence director of Sustainable Finance research, to discuss key findings from PwC’s third annual State of Decarbonization report, which challenges the perception that sustainability and climate ambition have peaked. They also explore the near-term outlook for sustainability at large, whether there’s a disconnect between stated climate targets and the carbon-intensive AI build-out, and much more.

A recent analysis by PwC of more than 3,500 companies finds that eight in 10 held steady or accelerated the timeline for their climate targets, and more companies increased their decarbonization ambition than lowered it. On this week&rsquo;s episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, David Linich, a PwC partner who leads the firm&rsquo;s Decarbonization and Sustainable Operations offering, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence director of Sustainable Finance research, to discuss key findings from PwC&rsquo;s third annual State of Decarbonization report, which challenges the perception that sustainability and climate ambition have peaked. They also explore the near-term outlook for sustainability at large, whether there&rsquo;s a disconnect between stated climate targets and the carbon-intensive AI build-out, and much more.

PwC on Whether Climate Ambition Peaked

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/51a4c3e5-ac25-4742-9ecb-b4ce00c425f3/transcript

El Niño is already affecting weather around the world, with droughts in India, floods in Hawaii and a sinkhole in front of Nicolas Cage’s house in Malibu. Join Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Climate Analyst Andrew Stevenson and his guest, Hansi Singh, PhD and CEO of Planette AI to discuss what to expect from Niño over the coming months from the perspective of a long-term weather forecaster.

El Ni&ntilde;o is already affecting weather around the world, with droughts in India, floods in Hawaii and a sinkhole in front of Nicolas Cage&rsquo;s house in Malibu. Join Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Climate Analyst Andrew Stevenson and his guest, Hansi Singh, PhD and CEO of Planette AI to discuss what to expect from Ni&ntilde;o over the coming months from the perspective of a long-term weather forecaster.

Forecasting El Niño’s Ferocity

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d6395a14-2b31-428a-b4a3-b4c700edb4ee/transcript

Tim Pawlenty on the US Solar Industry

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