Energy storage a key part of Goldman Sachs’ US$150 billion investment in renewables

Bullseye: Goldman Sachs is also targeting an investment of US$2 billion in sustainability and cleantech at its own operations, as well as an overall US$150 billion earmarked for investment in renewable energy and related sectors. Image: Flickr user: Sam Valadi.
Goldman Sachs will invest US$150 billion in renewables by 2025, including energy storage as a key part of this commitment, it has said.

The investment giant has updated its Environmental Policy Framework, which in 2012, set this figure at US$40 billion. The investments will cover co-investments and financing in solar, wind, sustainable hydro, energy storage, energy efficiency and LED lighting among others. Since that 2012 commitment, Goldman Sachs said it had already invested US$37 billion, and that the greatly increased sum would help the firm play a "critical" role in enabling greater efficiency and access to capital in the clean energy sector.

“Over the past 10 years, we have built on our commitment to harness market-based solutions to help support a healthy environment and address the problem of climate change.  We will continue to work towards deploying innovative financial mechanisms through an expanded investor base focused on environmental opportunities,” said Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO.

It has also established the Clean Energy Access Initiative to target renewable energy investment in “underserved markets”.

The company underwrote the first solar securitisation in 2013 with a project in Japan and is planning another US$1 billion of securitisations in the country covering solar and other renewables. According to the company's framework document, in its own operations Goldman Sachs expects to become carbon neutral during this year, and 100% powered by renewable energy by 2020 - also "targeting" US$2 billion of investment into its operations by that year.