Middle East war strengthens case for renewables, says Microsoft energy chief

The Middle East war had bolstered the case for investment in clean energy sources and battery storage, Microsoft said, as nations rushed to secure oil and gas supplies.

Microsoft’s global vice-president for energy Bobby Hollis, responsible for buying power for the tech group worldwide, said the oil and gas price surge had underscored the need for renewable energy in power supply as protection from volatile fuel costs.

“Wind and solar as, as part of that mix, is a huge benefit from the standpoint of price stability, because once you install it you have more certainty around what that actual cost profile looks like,” he told the FT.

“Fuel flexibility is always important, whether it’s a time of conflict or whether it’s a time of fuel scarcity, or changes in the fuel marketplace,” Hollis added. “That’s not a revolutionary idea.”

Hollis, who previously worked at Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy and Apple, said the lesson had been learnt from Russia’s war on Ukraine…