- An enormous transition is underway across the electric grid.
- Power plants that run on fossil fuels are being replaced by solar panels and wind farms, while more batteries and electric vehicles are plugging in.
- Once niche, the clean energy industry is going mainstream. Goldman Sachs says it's an investment opportunity worth as much as $16 trillion through 2030.
- Within the industry, researchers, entrepreneurs, and workers are bringing a wide range of solutions to bear, from batteries that store energy in molten salt to water turbines that are fish-friendly.
- Business Insider has identified the 21 emerging leaders in clean energy that we think everyone should know.
- For more stories like this, sign up here for our weekly energy newsletter, Power Line.
The global energy industry is in the middle of an epic transition, away from fossil fuels and towards clean sources of energy.
This year, for example, the US is set to generate more electricity from renewable sources than from coal for the first time in history. Meanwhile, 2020 is also expected to be a record year for solar power, and energy storage installations including batteries are set to double.
This transition, though ultimately motivated by the threat of climate change, has created an enormous economic opportunity.
Clean energy was the target of more than $600 billion of investment last year, relative to investment in the broader energy industry of about $1.9 trillion, according to the International Energy Agency. And looking forward, Goldman Sachs says renewable energy is an investment opportunity worth as much as $16 trillion, through 2030.
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It's now undeniable that the industry is going mainstream. In the US alone, it's home to more than 2.5 million workers employed within an expansive corporate landscape that has startups that store energy in molten salt on one end and solar giants like Sunrun deploying droves of rooftop panels on the other.
That's one reason why Business Insider started expanding its clean-energy coverage late last year. It's also why we embarked on this project, a showcase of the rising stars of clean energy — 21 people quickly making a name for themselves within the industry, whom we think everyone should know.
These rising stars, identified by experts as emerging leaders within the industry, are taking a bite of this $600 billion market while promising massive gains for the environment.
Dandelion Energy's Kathy Hannun, for example, has found carbon savings in holes dug under homes in the Northeast. Swift Solar's Joel Jean, on the other hand, is designing a new generation of hyper-efficient solar panels.
These 21 people were selected by Business Insider's editorial team. We began with an online nomination process and then narrowed the list with our own reporting.
These are the 2020 rising stars of clean energy. The list below is arranged alphabetically by company name.
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