• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGoldman Sachs Group

Goldman Sachs to invest $150 billion in clean energy

By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 2, 2015, 11:53 AM ET
SunPower CEO Tom Werner, Goldman Sachs' Kyung-Ah Park, and Generate Capital's Scott Jacobs at the 2015 Fortune Brainstorm E conference in Austin, Texas.
SunPower CEO Tom Werner, Goldman Sachs' Kyung-Ah Park, and Generate Capital's Scott Jacobs at the 2015 Fortune Brainstorm E conference in Austin, Texas.Photograph by Stuart Isett — Fortune Brainstorm E

Financial giant Goldman Sachs announced on Monday that it plans to invest $150 billion in clean energy projects and technology like solar and wind farms, energy efficiency upgrades for buildings, and power grid infrastructure.

The investment bank previously had a target to invest $40 billion in clean energy technologies by 2012, and will now almost quadruple that amount by 2025.

Goldman Sachs (GS) has long been bullish on clean energy and was an early financier of solar and wind farms around the world. This summer the company signed a pledge, organized by the White House, to take measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions and invest in cleantech.

In September, Goldman Sachs managing director and head of the environmental markets group, Kyung-Ah Park, said at Fortune’s Brainstorm E conference that the renewable energy sector has “reached an inflection point” with more renewable energy systems installed this year than conventional systems.

At the same time, the market for solar and wind technologies could take a hit in the U.S. in 2017. An important federal initiative that gives residents and businesses a 30% tax credit for installing renewable energy systems is set to expire at the end of 2016 and will be replaced by a 10% credit. While the tax credit could be extended by Congress, it’s still causing uncertainty in the clean energy markets in the U.S.

If the credit does expire, investors like Goldman Sachs will just focus more on financing projects outside of the U.S. solar companies, similar to how alternative energy companies like SunPower (SPWR) and First Solar (FSLR) are starting to look more at booming overseas markets like China.

Despite the ups and downs of the clean energy market in the U.S., Goldman Sachs is still going long on the sector. At Fortune Brainstorm E, Goldman Sach’s Park said the transition to new energy technologies is still in the “early innings of an economy wide transition.”

The bank says that along with its new investment pledge, it will also seek to finance clean energy for the developing world, like home solar panels and cleaner cooking stoves, as well as look to help the development of carbon markets around the world.

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

To learn more about financing clean energy watch this Fortune video from Fortune’s Brainstorm E conference:

About the Author
By Katie Fehrenbacher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

NewslettersTerm Sheet
5 VCs sounds off on the AI question du jour
By Amanda GerutDecember 10, 2025
34 minutes ago
Databricks co-founder and CEO Ali Ghodsi (right) with Fortune editorial director Andrew Nusca at Fortune Brainstorm AI 2025 in San Francisco. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
NewslettersFortune Tech
How Databricks could achieve a trillion-dollar valuation
By Andrew NuscaDecember 10, 2025
1 hour ago
Zhenghua Yang
SuccessSmall Business
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago
AsiaCoupang
Coupang CEO resigns over historic South Korean data breach
By Yoolim Lee and BloombergDecember 10, 2025
4 hours ago
AIpalantir
New contract shows Palantir is working on a tech platform for another federal agency that works with ICE
By Jessica MathewsDecember 9, 2025
11 hours ago
Databricks CEO speaking on stage.
AIBrainstorm AI
Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi says his company will be worth $1 trillion by doing these three things
By Beatrice NolanDecember 9, 2025
11 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Fodder for a recession’: Top economist Mark Zandi warns about so many Americans ‘already living on the financial edge’ in a K-shaped economy 
By Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
14 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
When David Ellison was 13, his billionaire father Larry bought him a plane. He competed in air shows before leaving it to become a Hollywood executive
By Dave SmithDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
Jamie Dimon taps Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Ford CEO Jim Farley to advise JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion national security initiative
By Nino PaoliDecember 9, 2025
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
14 days ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Craigslist founder signs the Giving Pledge, and his fortune will go to military families, fighting cyberattacks—and a pigeon rescue
By Sydney LakeDecember 8, 2025
2 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.