Total boss spells it out for Trump's energy czars: 'it's wind and solar too'
TotalEnergies CEO says he espoused 'all the above' energy system to Burgum and Wright, and claimed Elon Musk as an ally
A global oil chief said he spelled out to Donald Trump’s two most senior energy officials why the US needs renewables – and claimed Elon Musk as an ally in the cause.
Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of French supermajor TotalEnergies, revealed he’d met interior secretary Doug Burgum – the US president’s energy czar – and energy secretary Chris Wright to discuss America’s increasing power demand and the need for an “all the above” policy.
“I spent some time [with them] explaining that in fact it’s also solar, also wind,” Pouyanne told analysts as he presented TotalEnergies’ updated energy transition outlook.
“Elon Musk is a good fan from solar so we have some supporters,” he added. Trump’s billionaire ally is active in the PV sector via his Tesla Energy business.
Both Burgum and Wright have made no secret of their scepticism over renewables, with wind power in particular seen as vulnerable to a negative policy agenda trickling down from the famously turbine-hating Trump.
TotalEnergies – currently the most renewables-focused of any major oil and gas group – has significant green power interests in the US, and like all other investors in the sector is waiting to gauge the full impact of Trump’s policies.
In terms of onshore renewables, Pouyanne said “we move on”, with the vast majority of Total’s projects on lands not affected by federal permitting.
He expects more clarity by the end of the year on the future of incentives put in place by Joe Biden’s climate law but said while some “social adders” could be at risk “I’d be surprised if we lose everything”.
'Offshore wind has an issue'
Pouyanne said that pause “might not be too bad” for the company given the cost profile of the offshore wind sector.
“On offshore wind obviously you have an issue,” he said, adding that Total is currently focusing on two large, mature markets in the sector – Germany and the UK.
“It’s a more expensive energy which does not fit, honestly, with a lot of emerging countries.”
Pouyanne singled out Brazil where he said marketing offshore wind “makes little sense in my view – you can produce much easier onshore”.