Does the Clean Energy Transition Need Forever Chemicals?

Does the Clean Energy Transition Need Forever Chemicals?

The clean-energy transition is accelerating.

Solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and other technologies are becoming essential to reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Solar, in particular, has expanded rapidly as costs have fallen and deployment has increased worldwide.

But there is another question we need to ask:

Can the clean-energy transition be truly sustainable if some of the materials used in it create long-term environmental challenges?

One issue receiving increasing attention is PFAS—often called “forever chemicals.”

What are PFAS?

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large family of human-made chemicals valued for properties such as resistance to heat, water and chemicals.

Their durability is also their biggest concern.

Many PFAS can persist in the environment for extremely long periods and can accumulate in ecosystems and living organisms.

This creates a difficult sustainability question:

How do we build a cleaner energy system without simply shifting environmental problems from one area to another?

Why does this matter to renewable energy?

The energy transition requires enormous amounts of infrastructure and equipment.

Solar farms, wind turbines, batteries, electrical equipment and modern grids all depend on complex supply chains and advanced materials.

The solution isn’t to question the value of renewable energy.

Instead, it is to make the entire renewable-energy value chain more sustainable.

That means looking beyond:

“How much carbon does this technology save?”

and asking:

“What happens to the materials before, during and after the technology’s useful life?”

Clean energy needs a circular approach

A truly sustainable energy system should consider the complete lifecycle of its technologies:

Raw materials → Manufacturing → Deployment → Operation → Recycling → End-of-life

This is becoming increasingly important as renewable-energy deployment grows.

For example, solar power is expanding at extraordinary speed globally, while battery storage is also becoming increasingly important for integrating renewable electricity.

As deployment increases, so does the importance of responsible manufacturing, material selection and recycling.

The goal isn’t “perfect” energy technology

Every energy technology has environmental impacts.

The objective should therefore not be to find a technology with zero impact.

The objective should be to continuously reduce the environmental footprint of the entire energy system.

That means:

• Safer materials
• Better chemical management
• Stronger environmental regulations
• Responsible manufacturing
• Better recycling systems
• Greater transparency across supply chains
• More investment in alternatives to persistent chemicals

What does this mean for businesses?

For C&I consumers, sustainability is increasingly becoming more than simply purchasing renewable electricity.

Businesses should also consider the broader environmental credentials of their energy partners and projects.

Questions worth asking include:

Where does the equipment come from?

What materials are being used?

How will equipment be recycled at the end of its life?

Does the project follow responsible environmental practices?

This can help businesses move from simply buying renewable energy to building a more responsible clean-energy strategy.

The bigger picture

The clean-energy transition remains essential.

Renewables can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, lower exposure to fuel-price volatility and support long-term decarbonization. Recent analysis also highlights the potential for rapidly expanding renewables to reduce long-term energy-system costs.

But clean energy should not mean clean at the point of electricity generation only.

It should mean cleaner across the entire lifecycle.

Conclusion

The question isn’t whether we should move toward renewable energy.

We should.

The better question is:

Can we make the clean-energy transition cleaner itself?

The next stage of renewable energy shouldn’t focus only on producing more clean electricity.

It should also focus on safer materials, responsible supply chains, better recycling and lower environmental impact.

Because the ultimate goal isn’t simply to replace fossil fuels.

It’s to build an energy system that is cleaner, safer and more sustainable from beginning to end.