Why Solar Is One of the Cheapest Ways to Make Power (and What It Means for Investors)

Clean energy is one of the cheapest ways to build new power in America, yet most investors still don’t understand how the business actually works. In this episode, we sit down with Peter Davidson, CEO of Aligned Climate Capital, to break down the economics of solar power, why more than 90% of the new power being built in the US is wind, solar, and batteries, how AI and data centers are driving a sharp jump in electricity demand growth, and what risks (permitting, interest rates, local opposition) investors need to watch. Peter also explains what all of this could mean for the power bills and reliability families and businesses care about. Who this is for Investors who want a beginner-friendly framework for understanding the clean energy transition and anyone curious how it connects to everyday costs and reliable power. What You Will Learn How a solar farm actually makes money — the offtake-agreement model, explained like a rental apartment Why solar and wind are now the cheapest ways to build new power (the curves have crossed) Why over 90% of new US power generation is wind, solar, and batteries — and what that means for investors How AI and data centers are driving electricity demand growth from 0.5% to 2.5% per year (a 5x jump) Why a solar farm gets built in 6 months while a gas plant takes 2–3 years (and gas turbines have a 4–6 year backlog) The real risks: permitting, NIMBYism, and why interest rates are the number to watch How the grid works — and why it was built for a single peak day each year What virtual power plants are, and why your home battery could sell power back to the grid What's next: advanced geothermal, small modular nuclear, and higher-upside energy bets The public companies Peter names: Nextracker, NextEra, Bloom Energy, Hannon Armstrong Timestamps 00:00 — What's happening in renewable energy 02:31 — What most investors don't understand about solar power 04:52 — Solar is now ~13% of US electricity (up from 1–2%) 07:31 — "Building a solar farm is like building a rental apartment" 09:01 — The input of solar power is free 10:52 — Over 90% of new US power built is wind, solar, and battery 11:39 — Are we running out of land for solar? 14:27 — Wind farm myths: noise, bird kills, and cats 16:39 — Agrivoltaics: farming and solar on the same land 19:03 — Energy demand growth going from 0.5% to 2.5% (a 5x jump) 22:42 — Gas turbine backlog: 4–6 years from GE or Siemens 25:00 — Aligned's two strategies: buying solar farms + venture investing 28:31 — Public companies to know: Nextracker, NextEra, Bloom Energy 32:47 — Higher upside, higher risk opportunities in energy 37:14 — Utility companies as investments 41:25 — The grid: the greatest machine ever built (and it's built for peak) 45:48 — Why doesn't every home have a battery? 47:51 — The urban challenge: renters, apartments, and city EV charging 49:01 — How high can solar's 13% share realistically go? 49:27 — Australia hits 100% renewables at times of day 50:52 — EVs: 1 in 4 cars sold globally is now electric 52:58 — The risk investors must watch: interest rates Resources Mentioned Aligned Climate Capital: https://alignedclimatecapital.com/ If you want to learn more, head to energylimitless.com. Have questions or want your story featured? Email the show at ⁠[email protected]⁠ or comment below. Your feedback shapes the podcast! Remember, invest with a margin of safety—emphasis on the safety. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you next time. Timestamps are generated by artificial intelligence, and are not 100% accurate depending on the platform used for listening. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Today’s show is sponsored by: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/0th4z72y #CashAppPod As a Cash App partner, I may earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Bitcoin services provided by Block, Inc. For additional information, see the Bitcoin disclosures. Shopify: Stop waiting for permission to