President Trump escalated his criticism of renewable energy on Wednesday, announcing his administration will no longer approve new wind or solar projects. He said that renewable energy projects are driving up electricity costs in states that rely heavily on their use.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Any state that has built and relied on WINDMILLS and SOLAR for power are seeing RECORD BREAKING INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY COSTS. THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY! We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar. The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!! MAGA.”
Energy alternatives
The Department of Energy says wind power is the nation’s largest source of renewable energy, with wind turbines supplying more than 10% of the nation’s electricity.
Renewable energy’s role in US electricity
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, wind power is the nation’s largest source of renewable electricity. Wind provides about 10% of total U.S. power generation. Solar contributes about 4%.
Industry groups put the figure higher. The American Clean Power Association estimates that clean power — which includes wind, solar, hydro and geothermal – now powers about 75 million U.S. homes.
Trump’s announcement follows a series of steps by his administration to roll back renewable energy projects. Last month, he directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to oversee final reviews of leases, rights-of-way and construction plans for solar and wind projects, effectively tightening approval rules.
Rising cost of electricity
CNBC reports that prices have risen by more than 20% for customers that rely on the nation’s largest power grid, PJM Interconnection. That includes 13 states in the Midwest, South and Mid-Atlantic. That figure does not pertain specifically to renewable energy costs.
In addition, Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill ends tax credits for wind and solar power. Such credits have played an important role in the expansion of renewable energy in the U.S. in recent years.
Companies say they are worried their planned projects will no longer receive the necessary permits to get projects off the ground.
After Trump was inaugurated, he immediately signed an executive order temporarily halting offshore wind leases in federal waters. At the time, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the federal government had spent nearly $19 billion in wind subsidies between 2016 and 2022.
USDA also halts funding
The administration’s latest moves are not limited to energy regulators. On Monday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the USDA would stop funding wind and solar projects on farmland.
“Starting today, USDA will no longer deploy programs to fund solar or wind projects on productive farmland, ending massive taxpayer handouts,” she said.
She also claimed that millions of acres of prime farmland had been left unusable so that government subsidized solar panels could be built.
Days later, Trump echoed those remarks, declaring a nationwide halt to new federal approvals for wind and solar projects.
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Author: Craig Nigrelli
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