Donald Trump’s war on renewables

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Economist or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Donald Trump is mounting a political offensive against renewable energy in the United States, vowing to dismantle key clean energy incentives if re-elected
• His proposed rollback includes repealing subsidies for solar, wind, and battery storage — policies central to the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act
• While Trump’s rhetoric has stirred concern across the clean energy sector, firms like Sunrun continue to expand decentralized solar and battery systems that offer both cost savings and resilience

🔭 The context: Trump’s stance echoes his 2016–2020 administration’s support for fossil fuels and skepticism of climate science
• The Inflation Reduction Act (2022), passed under President Biden, earmarked over $370 billion for clean energy investment, triggering a boom in domestic manufacturing and deployment
• Trump’s plan to repeal these supports risks stalling momentum just as solar and storage systems are beginning to reduce grid pressure during peak events

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Renewable energy is pivotal to cutting U.S. emissions and achieving net-zero goals. Weakening policy incentives could slow adoption rates, disrupt green investment flows, and hinder decarbonization
• Virtual power plants like those run by Sunrun — aggregating home solar and storage to support grid stability — show how decentralized renewables can enhance resilience in an increasingly climate-volatile world

⏭️ What's next: A second Trump administration could attempt to gut clean energy tax credits via executive orders and legislation, but full repeal would require congressional backing
• The outcome of the 2026 midterms will be critical. In the meantime, companies are racing to deploy projects and secure subsidies while current policies hold, and state-level mandates may buffer some of the federal reversals

💬 One quote: “If Trump wins and follows through, we’re looking at a major setback for American energy independence and grid resilience,” — Leah Stokes, energy policy expert at UC Santa Barbara

📈 One stat: Virtual power plants from Sunrun and peers have already delivered over 1.3 gigawatts of flexible power capacity across the U.S. — enough to support hundreds of thousands of homes during grid stress

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