Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
The strategic energy partnership between the UAE and the US continues to reinforce both countries’ shared vision for a sustainable future. This collaboration is marked by significant joint investments in clean and renewable energy technologies, aimed at bolstering global energy security and supporting emerging economies.
A key initiative is the UAE-US Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE), launched in November 2022, which seeks to mobilise $100 billion in financing and investment to deploy 100GW of clean energy by 2035.
As part of this effort, the two countries announced in January 2023 a $20 billion allocation to develop 15GW of clean energy projects in the US by 2035. The initiative is being led by Masdar in partnership with private-sector investors from the US.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) also joined the clean energy push by acquiring a 35 percent equity stake in ExxonMobil's blue hydrogen project in Texas, which will be capable of producing up to 1 billion cubic feet daily of blue hydrogen, with about 98 percent of carbon dioxide removed, and more than 1 million tonnes of low-carbon ammonia per year.
In support of innovation, the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy signed agreements with the University of Arizona and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to explore advanced clean energy technologies, including solar power in space and climate acceleration tools.
The US remains a core market for Masdar, which is targeting a clean energy portfolio of 25GW in the United States within a decade. Masdar’s portfolio in the US comprises wind, solar and battery storage projects in California, Texas, New York, and New Mexico, reflecting the company's long-term commitment to transforming energy systems.
Masdar’s US activities began in January 2019 with investments in the Rocksprings and Sterling wind farms in Texas and New Mexico. In 2020, it partnered with EDF Renewables North America across a portfolio of seven operational projects comprising 1.3GW of operating capacity.
In 2024, Masdar acquired a 50 percent stake is one of the USA’s leading renewable power producer Terra-Gen, adding another 3.7GW of operating capacity, 6GW of under construction and advanced pipeline assets, as well as significant early stage pipeline. With this acquisition, Masdar’s gross operating portfolio in the US now exceeds 5.0GW.
Prior to the Terra-Gen acquisition, Masdar’s 1.3GW portfolio in the US consisted of four utility-scale wind projects in Texas and New Mexico and five solar projects in California. Two of the solar projects, Big Beau and Desert Harvest, include battery energy storage systems.
The acquisition of Terra-Gen added a gross operating portfolio of 3.7GW of wind, solar and battery storage projects, including 5.1GWh of energy storage facilities across 30 renewable power sites, predominantly in California and Texas. Terra-Gen is currently developing further 12GW of wind, solar and battery storage projects California, Texas and New York.
