Clean Energy Pioneer Jigar Shah Backs Dedicated Battery Storage Expansion at MARS
Washington, Friday, 13 November 2026.
After deploying over $100 billion at the Energy Department, clean-tech veteran Jigar Shah joins MARS Energy Group to scale dedicated battery divisions across nationwide infrastructure networks.
Strategic Hiring Signals Battery Storage as Core to Clean Energy Transition
MARS Energy Group, a national leader in distributed energy solutions, has appointed Jigar Shah—founder of SunEdison and former director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office—to its advisory board to accelerate battery storage expansion. The move underscores a broader shift within the clean energy sector toward grid-scale storage as a critical enabler of nationwide decarbonization and grid modernization. Shah’s appointment, announced on November 13, 2026, comes at a pivotal moment when battery storage is transitioning from a supplementary technology to a central pillar of energy infrastructure [1].
A Decade of Clean Energy Leadership Converges at MARS
Shah brings a storied track record in renewable energy finance and infrastructure development to MARS Energy Group. As director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, he oversaw the deployment of over $100 billion in federal loans to support renewable energy and advanced energy projects, including landmark initiatives in solar and energy storage [1]. His leadership helped catalyze the growth of SunEdison, which became one of the world’s largest renewable energy developers before its restructuring in 2016 [GPT]. In 2024, Shah was named to the TIME100 list, recognizing his influence in shaping the global energy transition [1]. These credentials position him as a key architect for MARS’s push to establish dedicated battery divisions across its 14 regional offices, serving homebuilders, homeowners, businesses, and public agencies [1].
Battery Storage as the Next Frontier of Distributed Energy
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Shah emphasized the transformative potential of storage in distributed energy systems. ‘Storage is where the next decade of value in distributed energy will be created, and the winners will be the companies that can install and service it at scale,’ he said [1]. His perspective aligns with a growing consensus among industry analysts that battery storage—particularly at the grid edge—will unlock new revenue streams, enhance grid resilience, and reduce reliance on fossil fuel baseload power [GPT]. MARS Energy Group’s strategic pivot reflects this reality, with CEO Manvendra Saxena noting that batteries are now integral to the company’s operations across residential, commercial, and public-sector projects [1].
Building Dedicated Infrastructure for a Storage-Driven Future
MARS Energy Group, which employs over 1,600 people nationwide, is not merely integrating battery storage into its existing solar and roofing divisions but is actively reorganizing its structure to prioritize storage as a standalone capability. Saxena stated, ‘We’re not asking our solar teams to do batteries on the side. We’re building a dedicated battery division within each of our companies, with the focus and talent it deserves’ [1]. This structural shift mirrors trends observed in other major clean energy firms, where storage is being elevated to a core business unit rather than a peripheral offering. Shah echoed this sentiment, highlighting MARS’s existing strengths—such as field crews, customer relationships, and builder partnerships—as key assets in scaling storage deployment rapidly [1].