Many fossil-fuel companies have branched out into renewables. Why?

- There's lots of government money flying around that they can vacuum up.
- They are hedging their bets in case the green revolution really does happen (not likely IMO).
- It's good PR and makes them appear forward-thinking to people who haven't studied the issues very hard.

But most importantly, renewables are intermittent sources of power. They need standby capacity that can kick in quickly when the wind/sun/etc dies off. The more renewable power, the more standby capacity is needed. And the crucial fact is, standby power sources tend to be fossil fuels: gas, oil and coal (where permitted) — since they have the easiest time adjusting output.

So it's not hard to see why fossil fuel interests might support renewables, knowing their business is guaranteed right up until renewables can completely replace all other sources of power (i.e., never).