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Donald Trump’s war on renewables

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By illuminem briefings

· 3 min read


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

Explore carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies on Data Hub™ — the first platform designed to help sustainability providers generate sales leads!

Click for more news covering the latest on renewables, and energy transition

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illuminem's editorial team, providing you with concise summaries of the most important sustainability news of the day. Follow us on Linkedin, Twitter​ & Instagram

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