The founder of Knight Vinke claims he cannot invest in the US under the Trump presidency due to the uncertain environment. In an interview with Reuters, Eric Knight stated that the investment fund ceased operations in the US as the risks became too high.
Knight Vinke Asset Management, which sold its remaining US holdings, believes that focusing operations in Europe will generate profit, thanks to an environment where rules and policies for green energy projects are more predictable.
Knight has focused his operations on the energy sector in recent years, launching a fund dedicated to energy transition last year, after investing in various sectors, from major oil companies to banks.
In an interview with Reuters, he explains the reasons for withdrawing investments from the United States. The risks of investing in alternative energy companies in the US have become too high, meaning that it is “unviable to invest because the rule of law is not applied uniformly.”
In 2025, the Trump administration suspended the construction of five major offshore wind energy projects. The value of shares plummeted, and Trump called wind farms “losers.”
Shares of Danish wind energy company Orsted plunged to a record low after the U.S. government halted work on its Revolution wind farm project, which was nearly complete, off the coast of Rhode Island.
A similar situation occurred with Nordic company Equinor. The Norwegian oil company suffered a nearly $1 billion write-down in its green energy division after the shutdown of its Empire Wind 1 project.
Work resumed on five projects suspended by Trump, thanks to federal court intervention, but the dispute between the government and judges shows no sign of ending.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers accused Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, of treating the green energy sector unfairly and preferentially. Rogers argues that “President Trump reversed Joe Biden’s dangerous ideological crusade against oil and gas companies, freeing up American energy to reduce costs for American families and businesses and to protect our national security.”
Knight has invested in the UK, focusing on the British energy and transmission company SSE, as well as an offshore wind energy unit. The fund wants SSE to consolidate its Berwick Bank project off the coast of Scotland, one of the largest in the world, which will allow it to produce more energy at a lower cost.
According to the investment fund leader, the British government needs to invest in the growth of green energy projects. He argues that this is based on numbers, citing the more than 60% increase in SSE shares since February 2025.
The company is currently valued at around £28 billion (US$38.28 billion), but could rise significantly more if the company supports its strategy, Knight said. “Within 5 to 10 years, it could be worth £60 billion,” which would bring it close to BP (BP.L), with a market value of just under £70 billion.
