Featured in Powering Through – 05-2025

Disrupt or be disrupted

The news that oil companies Shell and BP are cutting renewable energy investment to refocus on oil and gas seems like a major blow to the energy transition. Looking at the bigger picture, however, a familiar pattern is emerging. Daan Walter, from energy think tank Ember, argues the move isn’t a setback but rather the transition’s next phase – and if the West wants to stay competitive, it must act now.

By

pv magazine

02 May 2025

Shell and BP have refocused on their core business amid tough competition in the renewables sector. | Photo: Ben Wicks/Unsplash

It should come as no surprise that our incumbent fossil fuels industry is struggling to adapt. As described in Clayton Christensen’s well-known book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma,” incumbents excel at improving existing products but stumble when new, disruptive technologies emerge. This follows a consistent pattern: Established companies experiment briefly with new innovations but margins disappoint, investors …

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