Octopus Energy investment crowns Newsom’s California‑UK clean energy pact as Trump lashes out
Octopus Energy appears at the center of a new memorandum of understanding Gavin Newsom signed in London on Monday that opens California’s market to British firms and commits both governments to stepped‑up collaboration on offshore wind and other clean technologies.
Deal expands offshore wind cooperation and market access
Newsom met U. K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in London as part of a European tour and signed an agreement that pledges collaboration on clean energy technologies like offshore wind, at a time when both California and the U. K. are still pursuing net zero emissions goals. The pact will enable better access for U. K. firms including Octopus Energy, the country’s biggest energy supplier, to California’s market, the U. K. 's Energy Security and Net Zero Department said.
Offshore wind and the Trump backlash
The memorandum comes amid sharp pushback from the U. S. president. In an interview, Donald Trump called the governor by a derogatory nickname—"Gavin Newscum"—and said, "Gavin is a loser. Everything he's touched turns to garbage. His state has gone to hell, and his environmental work is a disaster. " Trump said it was "inappropriate" for the U. K. to be dealing with Newsom and derided offshore wind as for "losers, " a jibe the U. K. Energy Secretary has pushed back against.
Research ties, biodiversity and wildfire lessons
The pact also underpins collaboration between British and Californian research institutions and enshrines both sides' continued commitment to international efforts under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; the Trump administration withdrew the U. S. from the UNFCCC earlier this year. Miliband’s department said the U. K. and California will share practical expertise on protecting biodiversity and building resilience amid extreme weather, and Newsom and Miliband discussed AI and the implications for energy as well as lessons from California’s wildfires.
Octopus Energy investment and market implications
Newsom framed the agreement as a way to attract clean‑tech investment, saying, "California is the best place in America to invest in a clean economy because we set clear goals and we deliver. Today, we deepened our partnership with the United Kingdom on climate action and welcomed nearly a billion dollars in clean tech investment from Octopus Energy. " Miliband added that "strong international partnerships" would strengthen "opportunities for U. K. businesses and secure investment for our country. "
Political ripples across Europe
Newsom’s visit followed the Munich Security Conference; he had said there that "Donald Trump's administration is temporary. California's commitment is not. " On his European tour he met Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz. A source close to Miliband called Monday's meeting "productive, " citing "the huge clean energy jobs and investment opportunities that the UK and California can bring to one another. " The signing has prompted concern among some British government officials about new sensitivities in the U. S. –U. K. relationship, while Nigel Farage suggested Miliband remains a target for the populist right and argued Labour could "shift to the left" under certain electoral outcomes.
Other items tied to the agenda
Beyond the pact, the coverage referenced several separate British government issues: the Druzhba pipeline has provoked a row between Hungary and the EU over support for Ukraine; a controversial Whitehall gas contract is up for renewal with MPs and Ukrainian campaigners urging a change of supplier; and Trade Minister Chris Bryant is heading to Paris next month to lobby France.
the memorandum creates a new framework to scale up clean energy technologies and enhance ties between businesses and researchers; the immediate task is to begin implementing the investment commitments and the research collaborations laid out in London, while Trade Minister Chris Bryant prepares to head to Paris next month to lobby France.
