Amena Saiyid

Washington, D.C.

Climate & energy journalist, Washington DC Correspondent for @CipherClimate by @Breakthrough. Formerly with @SPGCI Net-Zero Business Daily, @BBGIndustry

Articles

Solar and batteries drive cleantech construction

2 weeks ago | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid

More than half the cleantech projects announced across the United States in 2024 had begun construction or were operating at year’s end, according to a Cipher analysis. The projects moving into construction or operation represent nearly 28% of last year’s total announced investments into cleantech, which was valued at $240.26 billion. They were dominated by solar and battery storage projects.
Tariffs threaten U.S. steel and aluminum supply chains

3 weeks ago | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid

China, Canada and Mexico are the largest suppliers of steel and aluminum products to the United States, BloombergNEF’s latest analysis shows, a dependency President Donald Trump seeks to reverse through tariffs. Led by China, these countries account for nearly half of the imports of steel and aluminum products that include everything from cars and pipelines to soda cans and baking foils, said BNEF. Trump levied a 25% duty on imported steel and aluminum and their products in late March.
These types of climate technologies could receive a bump under Trump

1 month ago | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid |Bill Spindle

HOUSTON — Clean energy technologies long considered compatible with oil and natural gas and closely associated with Republicans are likely to have a leading edge in the United States under President Donald Trump, who opposes traditional renewable solar and wind energy technologies.
Batteries had a banner 2024, but the outlook this year is less certain

1 month ago | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid

Battery manufacturing gained momentum in the United States in 2024 as demand grows for energy storage solutions, but uncertainty clouds the outlook this year. At least two high-profile battery factories have already been cancelled, and the Trump administration is gunning for clean energy.
Under Trump, carbon capture sector mulls rebrand and sees optimism

1 month ago | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid

SAN DIEGO — Cloudy skies are not what one expects in San Diego, but the uncharacteristically cool weather reflected the vibes at a recent carbon capture conference here. Gathering last month, developers, climate-tech innovators, lawyers and investors were seeking to rebrand as they bid for the new administration’s support of the fledgling carbon management sector.
Solar’s dizzying investments return to normal level

2 months ago | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid

An overheated global solar sector is cooling off after reaching dizzying heights two years ago, BloombergNEF’s latest projections show. While cheap solar power continues to outpace all other forms of renewable energy, the exuberance of 2023, when Chinese factory spending reached an “unsustainable” level of $85 billion, is now being corrected. As the chart shows, China — depicted in bright red — remains the world’s leader in solar manufacturing.
A re-energized Trump seeks to boost fossil fuel production, dismantle climate programs

Jan 22, 2025 | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid

WASHINGTON — In the first 24 hours of his second presidency, Donald Trump laid the foundation for his “America First” energy agenda over the next four years. Through a series of speeches and a flurry of executive orders, Trump signaled his intent to dismantle former President Joe Biden’s climate policies and double down on fossil fuel production. The actions, which were met with enthusiasm by his base, underscore the top billing this topic is receiving from the new administration.
As Trump is sworn in, fossil fuels are already booming

Jan 20, 2025 | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid

The long and steady arc of changing energy systems is a humbling reminder of the limited power American presidents have over this sector, despite the political rhetoric coming out of Washington. The four charts you see here show a contrasting and evolving energy picture. The United States has become the world’s dominant oil and natural gas producer over the last decade. It is now adopting renewable energy with the same fervor as oil and gas, boosted by a range of state and federal policies.
Oil and gas techniques could unlock geothermal energy’s global potential

Dec 17, 2024 | ciphernews.com | Amena Saiyid

Cutting-edge technologies to tap the Earth’s sub-surface heat could supply as much as 8% of global electricity by 2050. Achieving that goal will require favorable policies and significant cost declines, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest report. Geothermal, or the heat energy beneath the Earth’s surface, has long been used as a heat and power source in a small handful of countries, including Iceland, the United States and Turkiye.
Why cleantech is booming in GOP-led states

Oct 29, 2024 | bakerbotts.com | Amena Saiyid

There is some irony in how the landmark 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is playing out across the country. No Republicans voted for the law, aimed at boosting clean technology investments in the United States. U.S. House Speaker Michael Johnson (R) has threatened to roll back parts of it if Republicans win control of the U.S. Congress after next week’s elections. And GOP presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has vowed to disband the law’s subsidies for wind farms and electric vehicles.