Jigar Shah to Run U.S. Energy Office That Backed Tesla, Solyndra

Jigar Shah, a clean-power pioneer who helped bring solar into the mainstream, has been tapped to run the U.S. Energy Department loan-program that backed Tesla Inc. and failed solar-manufacturer Solyndra LLC.

As head of the agency’s loan programs office, Shah will oversee more than $40 billion in loan authority available to support clean energy projects. His selection underscores President Joe Biden’s commitment to bringing climate to the fore. The entrepreneur is a longtime champion of clean power at entities including SunEdison Inc. and Generate, which builds, owns, operates and finances sustainable-energy projects.

Jigar Shah

Photographer: David Deal/Redux

“One of the reasons ...