Green Energy Stocks Today: Court Ruling, AI Data Centers and ETFs Shape the US Clean Power Trade

Published: December 9, 2025 – This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice.

Market snapshot: How green energy stocks are trading today

US green energy stocks are edging higher on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, as investors digest a landmark US court decision on wind power and a fresh wave of long-term clean‑energy deals tied to artificial‑intelligence data centers.

Around midday US trading (based on latest quotes in the US session):

iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) is roughly flat to slightly higher, up about 0.3% at $16.75.
Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW), a more volatile basket of pure‑play green energy stocks, is up about 1.7% to $32.69.
Global X CleanTech ETF (CTEC) is essentially unchanged, hovering near $56.
SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF (CNRG) is up just under 1% to $96.55.

Among major US-listed green energy companies:

NextEra Energy (NEE) – the bellwether US renewables and utility hybrid – is basically flat, trading around $80.50.
First Solar (FSLR) is modestly higher, up around 0.9% to $258.13 intraday.
Enphase Energy (ENPH), still in recovery mode after a brutal 2023–24 slump, is up about 2.5% to $32.03.
Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP), a high‑dividend global renewables operator, is slightly higher near $28.42.

The moves are modest, but they come against a meaningful backdrop: a federal court has just overturned President Donald Trump’s nationwide ban on new wind projects, a decision that analysts say could ease some of the policy overhang on US clean power. ^[1]

1. Big legal catalyst: Judge overturns Trump’s wind power ban

The dominant headline for green energy investors today is legal, not technical:

On Monday, US District Judge Patti Saris struck down President Trump’s sweeping executive order that froze new onshore and offshore wind projects on federal lands and waters, calling the move “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law.” ^[2]
The order, issued in January 2025, had halted leasing, environmental reviews and permitting for wind developments, stalling multiple offshore projects and raising questions about the long‑term viability of US wind build‑outs. ^[3]
A coalition of 17 states led by New York Attorney General Letitia James successfully challenged the ban, arguing it posed an “existential threat” to the wind industry. ^[4]

In response, global clean energy stocks – including European wind leaders Vestas and Ørsted – ticked higher earlier on Tuesday after the news, according to Investing.com. ^[5]

For US‑listed names, the ruling:

Removes a significant headline risk for future offshore and onshore wind development.
Does not eliminate all uncertainty: analysts point out that permitting delays, local opposition, transmission constraints and new regulatory hurdles can still slow projects even without an explicit ban. ^[6]

JPMorgan’s clean‑energy research team called the decision a “small positive” for the sector overall, while warning that it may not fully restore offshore developers’ confidence in the US market after a series of policy reversals and contract renegotiations. ^[7]

Bottom line for investors: The ruling is more about removing a worst‑case scenario than guaranteeing a boom. It slightly improves visibility for wind developers and their suppliers, which supports sentiment for broader green energy stocks and related ETFs.

2. AI, data centers and the new demand story for green utilities

Another major theme underpinning green energy stocks today is AI‑driven power demand and the role of large tech companies in financing new capacity.

NextEra + Big Tech: 2.5 GW with Meta, more with Google

NextEra Energy Resources, the renewable arm of NextEra Energy, and Meta have agreed to develop roughly 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of new clean energy capacity across 13 US sites, under a series of power purchase agreements (PPAs) aimed at powering Meta’s expanding data centers. ^[8]
Separately, NextEra announced plans with Google Cloud to develop multiple gigawatt‑scale data‑center campuses in the US, with NextEra providing both power and infrastructure. ^[9]

At its recent investor event, NextEra highlighted a goal of supplying 15–30 GW of data‑center‑focused capacity by 2035, underscoring how AI and cloud computing could become a major long‑term growth driver for clean power developers. ^[10]

A fresh article today from The Motley Fool describes NextEra as a “high‑powered energy stock” that still expects to deliver attractive long‑term growth by combining regulated utility earnings with a large clean‑energy development pipeline. ^[11]

Why it matters for green energy stocks:

Big‑tech PPAs de‑risk large renewable projects by locking in long‑term buyers.
Data centers are energy‑intensive, and AI workloads are pushing that demand higher, creating a secular tailwind for wind, solar and battery storage. ^[12]
Utilities like NextEra, and yield‑style vehicles like Brookfield Renewable, are positioning themselves as infrastructure backbones for AI and cloud.

3. Solar divergence: First Solar near highs, Enphase still digging out

Solar names continue to trade as a stock‑picker’s market rather than a one‑way bet.

A widely shared analysis today on Stocktwits (syndicated via financial news feeds) highlights how:

First Solar (FSLR) shares are up nearly 44% over the past year.
Enphase Energy (ENPH) is down about 55% over the same period. ^[13]

The piece points to:

Strong US demand and a deep order book for First Solar, helped by US tariffs on imported solar panels and domestic manufacturing incentives.
Weaker pricing, inventory overhang and uneven demand recovery for Enphase’s residential solar inverters, especially in Europe and parts of the US. ^[14]

Today’s intraday action fits that narrative:

FSLR trades around $258, adding modest gains on top of a strong year.
ENPH, still well below its 2023 peak, is staging a 2–3% bounce but remains down sharply over 12 months. ^[15]

Takeaway: Investors continue to reward balance‑sheet strength, domestic manufacturing and contracted utility‑scale projects (First Solar) while punishing hardware suppliers exposed to cyclical residential demand (Enphase). For green‑energy portfolios, the solar sleeve is very much about quality and business model, not just “own anything solar.”

4. Yield and infrastructure plays: Brookfield Renewable and HASI

Income‑oriented investors looking for exposure to green energy tend to gravitate to Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP) and HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (HASI) – and both appear in today’s headlines.

Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP)

A MarketBeat recap of recent regulatory filings notes that Bank of Nova Scotia trimmed its BEP holdings by 17.4% in Q2, selling about 277,000 shares but still retaining a sizable stake worth roughly $33.5 million. ^[16]

Despite that partial profit‑taking:

BEP is paying an annualized dividend of about $1.49 per unit, a yield near 5.3%, with the latest quarterly payout scheduled for December 31. ^[17]
Wall Street’s consensus rating sits at “Moderate Buy”, with a roughly mid‑$30s average price target, implying upside from today’s high‑$20s trading range. ^[18]

HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (HASI)

Another MarketBeat piece shows that the New York State Common Retirement Fund cut its HASI stake by about 68%in Q2, even as the company continues to beat earnings expectations and guide for solid long‑term growth. ^[19]

Key datapoints from that report:

HASI recently reported quarterly EPS ahead of consensus and set FY 2027 earnings guidance significantly above current levels. ^[20]
The REIT is paying a $0.42 quarterly dividend (around a 5.1% yield at recent prices) and holds a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with a ~$39 price target. ^[21]

What this says about the market:

Big institutions are actively reallocating within the green‑infrastructure complex – taking profits in some cases, but not abandoning the space.
High‑yield renewables platforms remain popular with income investors, especially as expectations grow that interest‑rate hikes may be nearing an end.

However, these stocks carry interest‑rate and policy risk, and their leverage means they can be volatile if financing costs spike or subsidies change.

5. Clean energy ETFs: December’s top performers and what they tell us

Beyond individual stocks, today’s green‑energy conversation is heavily shaped by ETF performance and sector flows.

A newly updated NerdWallet guide, “6 Best‑Performing Clean Energy ETFs for December 2025,” lists the top performers over the past year as: ^[22]

CTEX – ProShares S&P Kensho Cleantech ETF: ~70% one‑year gain
CTEC – Global X CleanTech ETF: ~50%
CNRG – SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF: ~44%
PBW – Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF: ~44%
HYDR – Global X Hydrogen ETF: ~43%
VCLN – Virtus Duff & Phelps Clean Energy ETF: ~41%

Data for the ranking is current as of December 3, 2025, based on Finviz performance metrics. ^[23]

The same guide stresses:

Clean energy ETFs let investors avoid single‑stock risk in a volatile emerging sector.
The funds span solar, wind, hydrogen, and broader cleantech, with varying levels of concentration and volatility. ^[24]

A companion NerdWallet article on renewable energy stocks highlights fast‑gainers like Enlight Renewable Energy (ENLT), Stem (STEM), Energy Vault (NRGV) and Ellomay Capital (ELLO) – though many of these are small‑ or mid‑caps and may be more speculative. ^[25]

Implications for investors:

The best‑performing ETFs are already up 40–70% over the past year, so valuation and entry timing matter.
The leadership of hydrogen and cleantech‑focused funds (HYDR, CTEX, CTEC) shows investors are not just buying utilities; they are also chasing higher‑beta technology enablers of the energy transition. ^[26]

6. Macro & policy backdrop: Trump’s cutbacks vs long‑term capital flows

Today’s moves in green energy stocks come against a highly complex macro and policy backdrop.

Policy headwinds remain

Recent Reuters reporting notes that the Trump administration has: ^[27]

Slashed federal clean‑energy funding and accelerated the expiry of key tax credits, rolling back parts of the Biden‑era Inflation Reduction Act incentives.
Slowed clean‑energy permitting, particularly for wind and large solar projects.
Prompted the International Energy Agency (IEA) to cut its US wind growth forecast by nearly 60% and solar by almost 40% for 2025–2030 compared with earlier projections.

Earlier in 2025, the administration’s proposed tax bill also undermined confidence by threatening or eliminating several investment tax credits for renewables, contributing to a sharp sell‑off in solar stocks this spring. ^[28]

Yet paradoxically, those headwinds have also accelerated consolidation:

Clean‑energy M&A deals surged to 63 transactions worth about $34 billion in the first half of 2025, up from 57 deals worth ~$7 billion in the second half of 2024, as stronger players snapped up pressured assets. ^[29]

Capital is still flowing into the energy transition

Even as US policy has become more volatile, global capital for clean energy remains robust:

Eiffel Investment Group announced today that it has raised €1.2 billion for a new energy‑focused fund targeting renewable and transition assets.
A separate Reuters story highlights that Chinese firms have committed around $80 billion to overseas cleantech investments over the past year. ^[30]

Meanwhile, S&P Global Energy’s “Clean Energy+ Trends for 2026” report, released today, points to: ^[31]

Rising renewable penetration leading to more hours of zero or negative power prices in some markets.
A shift from traditional, long‑dated power purchase agreements to more flexible offtake structures.
The interplay between AI‑driven electricity demand, grid congestion and storage, which is reshaping where and how capital is deployed.

And today’s US fusion‑energy headlines – as private companies lobby Washington for multi‑billion‑dollar support – show that investors are also looking beyond wind and solar to next‑generation technologies, even if those are still mostly pre‑commercial and high risk. ^[32]

Net effect: Despite short‑term volatility and US policy uncertainty, the long‑term capital trend is still flowing toward cleaner and more flexible energy systems. For green energy stocks, that means a choppy but fundamentally supported backdrop.

7. Hydrogen and advanced tech: Small but growing pieces of the puzzle

Beyond mainstream solar and wind, today’s newswire also features niche but important developments:

EVOLOH, a cleantech company making electrolyzers, announced new engineering work with GS E&C on “tonnage‑scale” hydrogen plants and introduced a system designed for direct connection to renewable power. ^[33]
Hydrogen‑focused ETFs like HYDR appear on NerdWallet’s list of top clean energy ETF performers, reflecting rising investor interest in green hydrogen as a long‑term decarbonization tool for hard‑to‑abate sectors. ^[34]

These projects are small compared with utility‑scale solar and wind, but they:

Signal ongoing technological diversification within the green‑energy universe.
Offer upside optionality for investors comfortable with higher risk and longer time horizons.

8. What to watch next for green energy investors

For readers following green energy stocks today and over the coming weeks, several catalysts stand out:

Implementation of the wind‑ban ruling
- How quickly federal agencies restart leasing and permitting for onshore and offshore wind will determine how much of the legal win translates into actual project pipelines. ^[35]
Tax and subsidy clarity
- Any new legislative efforts to restore or further trim clean‑energy tax credits could meaningfully move solar and wind stocks, just as earlier tax‑bill headlines did in May. ^[36]
Guidance from sector leaders
- Updates from companies like NextEra, First Solar, Enphase, Brookfield Renewable and HASI on 2026–2027 earnings and capex will shape expectations for dividend growth and returns on new projects. ^[37]
AI and data‑center build‑out
- Additional PPAs or infrastructure commitments from Meta, Google and other hyperscalers could further solidify the “AI‑powered” long‑term demand story for green utilities. ^[38]
Interest rate path
- High‑yield names like BEP and HASI are sensitive to rates. A faster‑than‑expected pivot from the Federal Reserve would likely be supportive; renewed inflation worries could pressure them again. ^[39]
Global capital flows and new funds
- Announcements like Eiffel’s €1.2 billion energy fund and continued overseas cleantech investment from China suggest ongoing institutional demand for the transition theme. ^[40]

Final thoughts

Today’s session for US green energy stocks is more about confirmation than transformation:

A court has checked presidential power over wind, easing one of the sector’s biggest near‑term legal threats.
Large‑cap utilities and infrastructure names are quietly reinforcing the idea that AI, data centers and electrification will drive structural power demand for years.
ETFs and stock rankings show that investors have already been rewarding the space heavily in 2025, especially in cleantech, hydrogen and diversified clean‑power baskets. ^[41]

For investors, the message is nuanced:

Green energy is no longer a simple “growth at any price” story – it’s a policy‑sensitive, rate‑sensitive and highly selective sector.
Diversification through ETFs, careful attention to balance sheets and a clear understanding of policy risk are all critical.

As always, anyone considering green energy stocks or ETFs should do their own research, consider their time horizon and risk tolerance, and, where appropriate, consult a qualified financial advisor. This article is intended as news and analysis, not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.