Clayco, a Chicago-based construction firm, on Wednesday launched a new business unit to focus on large solar energy and storage projects nationwide. Clayco Power and Energy, led by Ryan Johnson, will add nearly 1,000 employees across the U.S. by 2027 and is expected to generate about $300 million i n annual revenue. The new unit will provide design, engineering, construction and procurement for solar energy and battery storage to companies, utilities and other partners. Clayco is currently designing a solar and battery storage system on 350 acres in Manteno, about an hour south of Chicago. Construction is scheduled to start this June.The launch of Clayco Power and Energy comes as U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow 15% to 20% by 2030, due to the rapid growth of data centers, manufacturing facilities, electrification of transportation and residential growth, the company said. Last year, 85% of all new electric generating capacity came from solar energy and battery storage, according to Clayco.“Ultimately, solar must be part of the solution. Solar energy is the fastest type of power to bring to the market, and should be part of a multivariable approach, along with fossil fuels, natural gas and nuclear, to address America’s growing energy needs,” Clayco CEO Anthony Johnson said.As AI and advanced technology create more demand on the U.S. energy grid, “leveraging all forms of energy, including solar, is critical to technological innovation, the U.S. economy and our long-term national security,” Johnson said.Clayco’s announcement came even as many clean energy sectors are threatened by new federal policies that cut incentives such as tax credits. Tariffs have also increased costs and economic uncertainty.President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law last year, gutted federal support for solar and wind. Many solar companies have faced challenges, such as Chicago-based SunVest.Forecasts after the passage of new regulations showed the U.S. is on track to lose up to 55 gigawatts of solar by 2030. That includes a 14% collapse in Illinois, the nation’s 10th largest solar market, according to a September report from the Solar Energy Industries Association.Because of Trump’s tax and spending bill, more than 830,000 clean energy jobs nationwide could be lost by 2030, a September report from the nonpartisan business group E2 said.But solar companies got a boost when Illinois last year passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act that creates incentives for electrical grid batteries and other renewable energy. Batteries — energy storage for solar arrays — help address lapses in solar energy when there’s no sunshine.Johnson said the launch of Clayco Power and Energy isn’t tied to “a particular piece of legislation” but is part of the company’s larger push into the fast-growing energy sector.Clayco has been headquartered in the Loop since 2013. The company has more than 3,800 employees nationwide, with about 1,600 in Chicago. It earned more than $7.6 billion in annual revenue last year. ...read more read less