By Chelsea Harvey

Analysts have been underestimating the expansion of solar energy for nearly two decades, scientists report in a new study released Friday. And that could be a serious problem for the industry and, maybe, the planet.

If policymakers believe solar is growing more slowly than it actually is, they may be less likely to prioritize the kinds of research and development that will help better integrate renewables onto the grid, such as improving battery storage technology. This could lead us to continue relying on more carbon-intensive energy sources.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – Institutional investors remain eager to put money to work on renewable energy projects even as U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to revive their chief competitor: coal, financial executives said at a conference this week.

“Five or six years ago, funds weren’t specifically targeting renewable investment; today it’s a key component of infrastructure investment,” said David Giordano, managing director and head of North American, Latin American and Asia Pacific investments at BlackRock, on the sidelines of the Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York.

Giordano, who is also a board member of the American Council on Renewable Energy, which put on the forum, said renewable energy was no longer considered a niche.

BlackRock’s renewable infrastructure investment platform, launched in 2012 by Giordano’s team, now manages more than $4 billion in client assets, mostly in wind and solar projects.

Strong interest in green energy comes as Trump is championing fossil fuels and targeting environmental regulations as job killers. Trump’s administration, however, has made no moves to target federal tax incentives for renewable energy projects, which have helped make the technologies more competitive with traditional fuels like coal and natural gas, thanks mainly to bipartisan support in Congress.

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