CaliforniaClean energy companies across the state are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to act swiftly in response to sweeping federal tax policy changes under President Donald Trump that risk billions of dollars in renewable energy investments and prompt challenges to California’s clean energy goals.
In a letter that went out earlier this week, five major clean energy trade groups, including the California Wind Energy Association and Solar Energy Industries Association, recently warned that Trump’s newly passed Republican-backed tax and spending law is creating significant roadblocks for continuing and forthcoming solar energy investments and wind energy projects in the Golden State. These organizations allege that California’s standing as a global leader on climate is at risk without state-level action.
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Federal Tax Credits for Renewables Risk Being Rolled Back
At the center of the anxiety is a provision in the new federal law that phases out important renewable energy tax credits, beginning after 2026, for projects that have not yet started construction. Projects that start after the deadline will need to be on-line by the end of 2027 to receive any remaining incentives.
Complicating the matter, Trump has ordered the U.S. Treasury Department to issue rules that would limit who can still qualify for these tax credits by which energy developers. This extra uncertainty makes it likely that dozens of utility-scale solar, wind and energy storage projects will now be delayed.
“These modifications introduce a new and grave risk of delay or outright cancellation for dozens of clean power projects,” the letter asserts. “We are pulling ahead and we are happy with the progress,” he said, “but without immediate reform at the state level, California’s clean energy investments — and the jobs that come with them — are at risk.”
California’s Clean Energy Goals
California has established some of the most ambitious climate and renewable energy targets in the world. The state recently said that more than two-thirds of its 2023 retail electricity sales qualified as coming from renewable and zero carbon-emitting sources, and all across onlookers struggle to cope with the speed at which it is leading the global energy transition.
Reversing federal support for California clean energy is in stark contrast to the state’s climate vision and clean energy policy agenda, including the mandate for 100% clean electricity by 2045. Many of those developers have already invested heavily in California’s energy infrastructure, from solar farms to wind energy projects to battery storage.
Trade Groups Urge California to Put It in a Higher Gear
In their letter, the five trade groups, which are the Large-scale Solar Association, California Energy Storage Alliance and American Clean Power Association (California chapter) called on the state to do four things:
Speed up approval for environmental permits and harmonies regulation for renewable energy schemes.
Expand clean energy purchasing, especially from utility-scale wind and solar developers.
Permit clean energy projects on farmland, which is underutilized for utility scale energy development.
Strengthen investment in grid infrastructure for managing higher levels of renewable energy tax credits and maintaining energy reliability.
If California can expedite these reforms, the groups say, the state can insulate itself from the consequences of federal rollbacks and maintain renewable energy momentum.
Wind Power in Texas Is Another Story entirely
While California is in limbo, in a tale of stark contrast, here’s what is happening in Texas wind energy projects policy. We have even seen Republican-majority states, such as Texas, achieve success developing the nations largest wind energy industry, not by government mandate but by offering market-based incentives and less onerous permitting processes that attract investment in renewable infrastructure.
Wind power’s growth in Texas is an example of how bipartisan support — or, at least, pragmatic policy — can help speed up the growth of clean energy. With federal support declining, California may soon have to turn to the Texas model of wind energy if the state wants to maintain its energy transition goals.
Jobs, Reliability and Clean Power Are at Stake
Not only does the rollback represent a major threat to renewable energy developers, but it threatens thousands of the clean energy jobs that exist. If projects get put on hold or canceled, the economic effect could reverberate across jobs in construction, operations, engineering and maintenance.
And the uncertainty threatens grid reliability, particularly as California confronts increasing power demands and the need to replace retiring fossil fuel plants with clean options. The rollback would imperil jobs, stability and progress toward California’s clean energy goals, according to the letter.
The state especially benefits from the clean energy sector. In 2023 alone, solar and wind projects led to the creation of thousands of high-wage jobs and investment in rural towns. This loss of momentum could have far-reaching consequences for both climate goals and long-term economic resilience.
California Clean Energy Developers Raise Alarms as Federal Support Fades
This is a pivotal moment in the energy transition in the United States. The Biden administration had sought to reduce the shift toward clean energy by broadening tax breaks in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) but the rollback by Trump would negate much of the push.
The decision to trump clean energy rollback the federal energy tax credit is viewed by many in the industry as a big step in the wrong direction. Developers worry the uncertainty of future regulatory environments could scare off investment, particularly in long-lead-time projects such as offshore wind or grid-scale storage.
Clean energy backers are imploring more Democratic states to draw up backup plans akin to what California wants to do in order to shield renewable energy development from swinging federal policy.
Conclusion: It Takes State Action to Protect Clean Energy Gains
As California goes forward, the decision is unmistakable: without urgent state action, the rollbacks in federal support for clean energy could stall crucial projects, shake investor confidence in the market and set back the state’s progress toward an energy future free from carbon.
The industry leaders’ letter sends a strong signal: Federal energy policy may be on its back foot, but states like California still have the tools in hand to protect and advance their visions of a clean power future — if they use them boldly.
The office of Gov. Newsom has not responded publicly. Yet the pressure to answer that question is getting louder, with billions of dollars in California clean energy investments on the line and California’s climate leadership in the balance.
A New Roadblock: Personal Sign-Off Now Necessary to Approve Solar and Wind Projects on Federal Land
Trump Administration Halts Wind Projects on Federal Land! On a front the White House had hoped to leave untouched, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has been ordered to sign off personally on all solar and wind project approvals on federal lands, in a sweeping change that could upend plans to expand renewables development in the country, according to a confidential memo obtained by POLITICO.
The directive, transmitted Wednesday to staff at the Interior Department, applies a new level of vetting to clean energy projects and complexes on hundreds of millions of acres across this huge swath of federally managed land, including some of the most sun- and wind-rich patches in the country.
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Bottleneck to Approving Permits Along Large Areas of Renewable Land
The memo — written by Gregory Wischer, Interior’s deputy chief of staff for policy — stipulates that Burgum must sign off on “all decisions, actions, consultations, and other work” on wind and solar projects. That includes:
Scoping reports
Access road authorizations
Cost recovery agreements
Construction permits
Environmental review stages
Such cradle-to-grave review would also allow the consideration of the greenhouse gas pollution and public health implications of the projects, officials familiar with the memo said, and could place a significant regulatory burden on billions of dollars of previous projects moving through the pipeline.
A Strategic Move Against Wind and Solar Growth
The directive would seem to fit into a larger effort by the Trump administration to reduce support for renewable energy. One recent executive order, signed earlier this month, declared a national energy emergency and asked federal agencies to do everything they could to bolster dispatchable energy sources—even though it didn’t include wind and solar on the list of power sources in that category, or no new solar and wind project approvals.
The federal land energy policy order also directs the Interior Department to review its existing policies to determine whether they give “preferential treatment” to renewables over traditional forms of energy like coal, gas and oil.
Effect on Trump Administration Halts Wind Projects on Federal Land
Now, federal lands energy policy generate some 4% of the U.S.’s renewable power, or about 8.9 GW, according to a 2024 report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The research as potential for:
5.75 TWp of utility-scale solar power
875,000,000 acres of potential land based wind energy
When environmental and social are in line, the realistic output will narrow down to:
1,750 GW for solar
70 GW for wind
That remaining development potential is put at risk by the new Interior directive.
Expert: “This Will Paralyze Renewable Energy Permitting.”
The former Federal Permitting Council executive director, Eric Beightel, who served under then-President Biden described the action as a “bureaucratic chokehold.”. Photo: linkedln
The former Federal Permitting Council executive director, Eric Beightel, who served under then-President Biden described the action as a “bureaucratic chokehold.”
“It will absolutely generate a huge amount of red tape that there is no way solar can move and wind can move at all fast or efficiency or even get over the line,” Beightel said to POLITICO.
“This is nakedly an effort to weaponize ‘the process.’
Interior Has Sharp Rebuke for Leaked Memo
In response to questions about the leaked memo, the Interior Department released a scathing statement:
“Let’s be clear: leaking internal documents to the media is cowardly, dishonest and violates professional standards,” a spokesman said.
“It’s a symptom of what is wrong in Washington today,” a spokesman for Mr. Cotton, James Arnold, said in a statement, adding, “It shows complete disregard for the hardworking people serving the American people.
Political Context: Bipartisan Support Turns to Administrative Clampdown
President Donald Trump, has frequently voiced opposition of certain renewable energy projects, advocation traditional sources.
But having signed the bipartisan 2020 Energy Act to encourage development of clean energy on federal lands, President Trump is now retreating with new policies that would hit America’s wind and solar sectors hard. His administration is working to rewrite what constitutes, it deems, a project’s construction start, which could cut off access to vital tax credits for renewable energy — and put great big wind and solar projects at risk. The newly enacted “Big Beautiful Act” comes wrapped in new layers of regulation empowering federal agencies to block or slow clean energy development. Critics say this turn of events is a bureaucratically engineered assault on renewables that is seeking to quietly choke clean energy with red tape. In a bitter irony — that one of the key components of the legacy of renewables support put in place by Trump is Trump himself, under pressure from House Republicans — the President aligned to derail the progress of the nation toward a renewable future.
The whole thing has confirmed for our readers what Trump’s recent wave of executive orders and legislation has already betrayed: a bedrock political philosophy born of an even deeper conviction that renewable energy can’t be trusted, a conviction consistent with his past complaints that wind turbines are unsightly and job-destroying. This, even though federal figures indicate that wind and solar now employ more Americans than coal mining and oil-and-gas extraction combined.
Should these policies persist, the U.S. even risks lagging behind global clean energy leaders, especially in wind-rich and solar-rich places such as the Southwest, Midwest and offshore East Coast.
What This Means for the U.S. Transition to Clean Energy
The action could hobble Biden-era ambitions to pull down utility-scale renewables across federal land even as the administration charts a path to 2035 clean energy goals.
The term “energy transition” alludes to the transition happening worldwide — that is, from dirty, polluting fossil fuels (namely coal, oil and gas) to clean, renewable sources, like wind, sunlight, water (in the form of hydro) and heat from the earth. It also comprises increasing energy efficiency, upgrading power grids and integrating electric vehicles, batteries and low-carbon technologies.
Trump administration halts solar and wind projects, implemented policies hat slowed the growth of wind and solar energy in the USA
And the transition to renewable energy and solar and wind project approvals isn’t simply an environmental necessity — it’s a strategic choice that will safeguard the nation’s economic and public health future. With fossil fuels still responsible for the majority of carbon emissions, the transition to clean energy — including wind and solar — is critical to addressing the threat of climate change and protecting the environment and the economy for future generations. Renewable energy also has national security benefits, by making the nation less dependent on imported oil and providing a more secure energy supply at home. Economically, the transition is an engine for job growth, with the clean energy sector expected to create millions of good-paying jobs across the country. And cutting air and water pollution gives a big boost to public health — to take just one consideration, we would have a lot less respiratory disease. As renewables become the cheapest source of power, families should get cheaper energy bills. By investing in clean energy now, we can keep the U.S. competitive in the global economy, drive innovation and secure an energy system we can rely on well into the future.
Trump energy policy emphasized fossil fuels
President Biden has articulated a strong goal that America be on a path to achieve 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 clean energy goals — a critical milestone on the way to net-zero emissions by 2050. This would involve spurring through more renewable energy like wind and solar, new plans for how to move electricity and invest in clean technologies. Under Biden’s plan, it’s crucial to use public lands as a place for staging large renewable projects — those that make meaningful contributions to our nation’s quest for energy independence and ability to lower utility bills, as well as stimulate job growth. The administration’s clean energy agenda is projected to create millions of union jobs, lower household energy bills and improve public health by slashing pollution. It will also be a long-term goal, aimed at not only addressing climate change but also seeing to it that clean, affordable energy is available to every American community: urban and rural, rich and poor. Now the Doug Burgum interior directive the renewable energy permitting delays and administration halts the solar and wind project approvals, altogether 2035 clean energy goals is far away to achieve.
The other danger is that if these policies stay in effect, the U.S. could very well fall grievously behind other global competitors in the market to scale green power production, given that we have more than 70 GW of land-based wind potential and more than 1,700 GW of solar powerdevelopment technically available.
Lastly
About the federal land energy policy — this a War on Wind and Solar by Process not Policy. While no official nationwide ban on renewable energy has been offered, the combination of Interior Department control, tax credit reinterpretation and the passage of the Big Beautiful Act does suggest an increasing move against clean energy — not necessarily by outright ban, but by bureaucratic strangulation.
Even as Trump’s staff undercuts fairness and regulatory integrity, renewable energy permitting delays, people in the industry and the clean energy advocacy community are seeing the writing on the wall: a concerted effort to slow America’s clean energy future.
The memo – federal land energy policy, leaked on Friday is a sharp about-face for the Interior Department’s approach to solar and wind development and left some renewable energy advocates worried about the future of clean energy development on federal lands. Even though the memo itself has not been released to the public, the implications of its contents, first federal land energy policy reported by POLITICO, are already being felt and the clean energy industry.
One wind turbine can generate enough electricity to power nearly 1,000 homes. But because of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” hundreds of those turbines might not rise — and America’s clean-energy momentum may fizzle.
Advertised as a patriotic remake of America’s energy policy, the proposal includes the passage of a Senate amendment that would slap punitive tariffs on the backbone the wind power industry in the US. While a proposed tax on wind and solar was dropped from the, the final bill still des the phase-out of clean energy tax credits, essentially swifter projects only have two years — until 2027 — to be up and running, or lose critical financial assistance.
That may seem like a small tweak. It isn’t. Wind projects, particularly large farms, take years of planning, permitting and investment. If the bill reduces the timeline, it is throwing sand in the gears of an industry that is creating jobs, cutting emissions and giving new life to rural communities across the country.
These aren’t theoretical losses. Up to 72 percent of planned clean energy installations are at risk of being delayed or canceled, analysts say. That means lost work for turbine technicians and manufacturers. Lost Income for Farmers Leasing Land. And higher energy costs for families that could have benefited from cheap, homegrown power.
Wind power is not a dreamer’s dream. It’s a tried and true engine of economic and environmental progress. Just ask Texas, the country’s wind leader, where conservative farmers and green advocates alike now re
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America Stands at a Crossroads on Energy
For years, the United States has sought to be a world leader in wind power, putting millions of homes within easy reach of high plains and coastal breezes that can carry the electricity generated by wind turbines. But a bill now being readied in Congress — named in the tradition of energy nationalism, or more specifically, the “Big Beautiful Bill” — is poised to bring that progress to a grinding halt, or worse.
Hailed by former President Donald Trump as a major victory for “traditional American energy,” the Big Beautiful Bill is coming under fire from renewable energy experts, economists, labor unions, and business leaders for doing too much harm to the wind and solar industries. Critics say that the bill would overturn decades of bipartisan policy to promote clean energy and leave thousands of renewable projects hanging in the wind.
With far-reaching implications for clean energy tax credits, wind turbine manufacturing, energy prices and climate policy, it is on track to become one of the most significant — and contentious — energy fights of recent American history.
What Is the “Big Beautiful Bill”?
That bill, the “Big Beautiful Bill,” is a sweeping energy and tax reform package backed by Donald Trump, the former president, and some conservative lawmakers. Billed as a pro-American, pro–energy independence proposal, the bill is larded with clauses that:
Advance the sunset on clean energy tax credits, including the popular Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind.
Limit wind and solar development that relies on imported components, particularly those from China.
Ramp up fossil fuel development, promising to lease out more federal territory for oil and gas drilling on public lands.
Diminish financial aid for new renewable energy initiatives that begin after 2027.
For good, the bill does not contain a proposed tax on wind and solar projects that was part of the negotiations a few weeks ago, although it still cuts by a relatively significant amount the time frame for the development of wind and solar power, which critics point out is no small thing.
How Wind Energy Works —Why Policy Matters
Wind power has become one of the cheapest and most readily scaleable forms of energy generation in the US. Today, one wind turbine can produce enough power for close to 1,000 homes year-round, and entire regions — looking at you, Texas and Iowa — now get a large fraction of their electricity from wind.
But wind projects — particularly utility-scale wind farms — are multi-year affairs that require planning and permitting, financing and construction. That’s what makes politically stable, long-term support so essential. And it’s true that programs like the Production Tax Credit (PTC), whose origins date back to the 1990s, have played a role in helping to make wind energy cost-competitive with fossil fuels.
The PTC generally extends a per-kilowatt-hour tax credit to developers over a period of 10 years for electricity produced from new wind facilities. Without these credits, many projects are dead on arrival — particularly through early-stage investment.
What Big Beautiful Bill Impact On Wind
Under the Big Beautiful Bill, only wind and solar projects that were fully operational by the end of 2027 would continue to be eligible for these federal clean energy tax credits. This small window is a serious challenge to the clean energy pipeline, as most wind projects have a 3–5 year timeline from conception to completion.
What’s at Stake?
From several clean energy analytics firms:
As much as 28 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar projects in the works may no longer qualify for tax credits.
At least 72% of them are at risk of being delayed or dropped because of financing difficulties and political unpredictability.
Over 1.7 million jobsin construction, operations and manufacturing could be lost.
Hundred billions of dollars of investment in clean energy industries could leave for countries with more predictable energy policy.
In practice, that could translate to fewer turbines in the ground, less clean energy on the grid and higher electricity bills for American consumers.
Wind Energy Jobs: A growing Sector Under Threat
Wind power has been among the fastest growing renewable energy job sectors in the United States. Wind turbine technicians have been in the top five fastest growing jobs for years now, and the industry has brought:
Construction teams and engineers working on wind farms.
Technicians maintaining the turbines.
Turbine blade, tower and nacelle factory workers.
Truck drivers and cranemen hauling equipment.
Landowners, especially those in rural America, who rent land for wind projects.
All of those economic dividends are endangered by Big Beautiful Bill. And the thousands of renewable energy jobs that might disappear if project development in states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa stalls. All this clean power brought suddenly home to a place many Americans have never seen.
Elon Musk, and Industry Leaders Slam the Legislation
Among the most outspoken opponents of the Big Beautiful Bill is Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who characterized it as “utterly insane and destructive legislation.”
“It’s just madness,” Musk took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to write. “This bill is an exercise in handouts to the industries of the past that punishes the industries of the future. It would obliterate the American worker.”
Musk’s denunciation echoes growing recrimination in the tech and clean energy sectors that the bill is more about short-term political gain than about the U.S. leading in energy over the long term.
In a statement released to the media, the American Clean Power Association (ACPA) decried the legislation as “a step backward for American energy policy” and said it would drive up electricity costs, kill jobs for Americans and set current climate goals in the country back.
States Most Affected
Republican lawmakers on both the left and the right have thrown their weight behind the bill, but its impacts may fall hardest on Republican-led states. Consider the following:
Texas is the wind energy capital of the country, with thousands of wind jobs.
Iowa and Oklahoma produce more than 40 percent of their electricity from wind.
With strong wind resources, Wyoming, Kansas and North Dakota are adding projects to their portfolio of wind projects.
South Dakota and Nebraska are growing wind powerhouses that are dependent on federal help.
In these rural states, wind power was not simply a partisan issue; it was one of revenue, job creation and pride. And the Big Beautiful Bill, for all its patriotic trappings, could undermine these local triumphs.
Energy Security and Climate Consequences
The bill comes at a time when global energy security is particularly salient, given the conflicts and supply shocks that have underlined the need for diversified, domestic energy sources.
Wind power provides:
Energy independence — It does not depend on unpredictable fossil-fuel markets.
Cheap power — The price of wind energy has declined more than 70% during the past decade.
Zero emissions —Wind is one of the most environmentally friendly sources of power on the planet.
The proposed “Big Beautiful Bill” comes at a time of extreme global energy policy peril — when energy security has never been more important, and the dangers of ceding ourselves to dependency on fossil fuels have never been more stark. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, disruptions to supply chains, and fluctuating prices of oil and gas have all made it clear that investing in a diversified set of domestically based energy resources, especially those that are invulnerable to foreign shock, is critically important. In that way, wind is one of America’s smartest energy sources and provides a trifecta: energy independence, low cost and no emissions. While fossil fuels are tied to wild global marketplace fluctuations and ripe for inflation, wind power is grown here in America, impervious to the foreign fix we face with oil. Wind energy costs have fallen more than 70% over the last 10 years, now making wind one of the cleanest and also cheapest electricity options on the market.
Across the Great Plains and along the coasts, wind turbines have become as familiar a part of the American landscape as fast food outlets and big box stores, silently turning in the breeze, and now they are powering millions of American homes, and stabilizing local energy grids, saving working families money along the way. Perhaps more important, wind is a driving force behind America’s climate action—emitting no greenhouse gases, no air pollution, and no hazardous waste.
Photo: nyt
Taking about Big Beautiful Bill impact on wind industry 2025, having policies that support wind power is more important than ever as the world continues to race toward carbon-free energy, and as world leaders from over 150 countries commit to climate goals and to protect future generations. But the Big Beautiful Bill risks reversing this progress, if it undoes hard-won clean energy tax credits and introduces policy uncertainty at exactly the wrong moment. Cutting support for wind projects not only delays the deployment of clean energy but also delivers a catastrophic signal to investors, developers and international partners — that the United States is not longer serious about being a global leader in clean energy. Just as Europe and China scale up investments in renewables and build secure energy supply, any retreat by the U.S. would be a step back from the front lines of climate and energy innovation.
This uncertainty is a huge financial risk for investors and less motivation to invest in long-term infrastructure. For domestic producers, it could portend canceled orders, closed plants and lost chances to take the lead in a fast-evolving sector. And for the world, it calls into question whether America can be trusted to honor its environmental commitments. With the climate crisis getting worse by the day — with record-breaking wildfires, hurricanes and droughts becoming annual events — the urgency to support proven technologies like wind energy has never been higher. Rather than retrenching, the U.S. should double down on renewables investments that enhance national security, create good-paying jobs and lower emissions.
Wind turbine-driven energy independence is not some fantastical vision of the future; it’s a real-time reality built through decades of bipartisan putting our money where our mouths are and private sector elbow grease. Sabotaging such progress with short-sighted legislation could have devastating implications, not only for the environment, but for America’s competitiveness in the global energy economy of the future. By pursuing the policies that enhance the stability and growth of renewables – like extending the Production clean energy Tax Credits, supporting grid modernization and providing investors confidence – the United States can help prevent wind being a key part of national resilience. Instead, enacting a bill that leads us backward and undermines the very foundation of our clean energy structure will only continue the cycle of dependence upon fossil fuels, raise consumer costs, and cede the United States away from its leadership position in this century’s global race to dominate climate and energy policy.
The decision facing lawmakers isn’t just one of subsidies versus tax schedules — it’s about whether the United States will be at the front of or at the back of the 21st-century clean energy race.
Farmers, Landowners and Local Economies Suffer
Not only will big developers lose — local communities will be the losers as well.
Farmers who rent land to wind developers receive steady, long-term income.
Rural counties earn tax revenue from wind projects.
Wind energy taxes provide direct funding to local schools, fire departments, and hospitals.
And if the Big Beautiful Bill stalls new wind energy industry in the US, these lifelines to rural America would dry up — while, ironically, hurting the same communities the bill purports to aid.
Clean Energy vs. Fossil Fuel: A False Dilemma?
The Big Beautiful Bill Fossil Fuelvs. Clean Energy incentives, supporters of the bill, they argue, need to return to their livestock, energy realism and “support American oil and gas.” But some critics say that is a false choice.
“We don’t have to choose between jobs at home and clean energy,” said a spokesman for the ACPA. “We can have both — and we must if we are to compete in the world.”
The U.S. can and should help all energy workers — but not by hollowing out the sectors creating jobs and energizing investment.
Policy Recommendations — What Needs to Change
Now that the Big Beautiful Bill is now making its way over to the House of Representatives, clean energy advocates are lobbying for key amendments, including that the:
The Pass the PTC Act would extend the production tax credit (PTC) for wind through at least 2032.
Save loan guarantees and investment tax credits for renewable energy developers.
Opposing export penalties targeted at the renewable component supply chain.
Preventing trade provisions that penalize American energy consumers.
Such policy changes would revive confidence among investors, stabilize the development pipeline and allow the wind industry to continue to play a part in the economy.
A Crossroads for the Future of U.S. Wind Power
The Big Beautiful Bill (as it’s called) may sound patriotic on paper — but it’s about the furthest thing from that the American wind industry can imagine.
With over 1.7 million jobs at stake, billions of dollars of investment in jeopardy, and long-term climate and energy security objectives at risk, this bill is a critical moment in the life of our country.
America faces a choice to lead the global clean energy transition, or lag in a world increasingly fueled by wind, sun and innovation.
As members of the House debate, one thing is certain: decisions they make in the coming weeks are likely to influence the U.S. energy landscape for decades to come.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” is a landmark for the wind energy industry in the US– one that has driven economic development, revitalized rural America, and provided clean energy to millions of Americans. Although couched in terms of a patriotic energy plan, the bill imposes a faster phase-out of the Big Beautiful Bill wind eenrgy tax credits expiration and restrictive policies that will block or delay the completion of hundreds of wind projects, including the loss of over 1.7 million American jobs in clean wind energy.
In the midst of a global momentum for clean power, America needs to carefully consider the long-term implications of this law. Keeping the wind at our backs is not only an environmental imperative — it is an economic imperative, and a major component of America’s energy security.
As the legislation travels through Congress, lawmakers will decide through a series of forks in the road whether the U.S. remains at the forefront of renewable energy innovation or lags behind in the clean energy race across the world. The fate of millions of workers, communities and the climate demands it.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Big Beautiful Bill Impact On wind energy?
The Big Beautiful Bill is a proposed legislative package supported by former President Donald Trump that hastens the sunset of clean energy tax credits, which also extend to wind power. Only wind projects that are in service by the end of 2027 would be eligible for the Production Tax Credit (PTC), essentially setting back or even killing dozens of projects and threatening U.S. strides in renewable energy.
When would the wind energy tax credit expire under the Big Beautiful Bill?
Under the bill, wind energy tax credits would end in 2027. Any project that wasn’t up and running by Dec. 31, 2027, would lose eligibility for the federal Production Tax Credit, making it more difficult to secure financing and finish large wind farms on schedule.
How much clean-energy capacity is at risk from the new legislation?
As many as 28 gigawatts of planned wind or solar capacity could be put at risk, according to energy analysts, under the Big Beautiful Bill. Those projects may lose the critical tax credits and federal loan backing that helped launch them, halting the growth of clean energy in the United States.
What will the bill mean for renewable energy jobs?
The American Clean Power Association and labor unions project that if the wind tax credits lapse, over 1.7 million construction and manufacturing jobs could be lost. These losses would hit rural communities particularly hard, and states that have sunk billions of dollars in wind infrastructure, such as Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma.
What does the bill do for U.S. energy independence and climate goals?
The bill would damage U.S. energy independence by slashing incentives for domestic, clean sources of energy such as wind. It also puts the brakes on progress toward zero-emissions energy goals, sending a signal to global investors and allies that the United States might be pulling back at a time when other nations are accelerating investments in clean energy.
Can Congress overrule or alter the Big Beautiful Bill’s features?
Yes. The measure still needs to pass the House as well, and there’s a chance lawmakers could revive long-term tax credits for clean energy, extend eligibility timelines or add new givebacks to shore up renewable energy. Industry advocates are calling on Congress to act before long-lasting damage is inflicted on the wind energy business.
Why are permanent tax credits so critical for a wind project?
The process of planning, permitting, and constructing a wind energy project typically requires 3 to 5 years. Long-term, predictable tax credits such as the PTC provide developers and investors with the certainty to finance these multidecade projects. Abrupt changes in policy upset the entire development pipeline and sometimes lead to delays or cancellations.
The offshore wind sector has been stagnant with federal leasing halted, tax credits eliminated and developers pulling out of core markets
President Donald Trump energy policy changes are putting America’s offshore wind industry in jeopardy, with more than 22 projects on hold and an estimated $114 billion in clean energy investments at risk.
The Biden administration has been making some dramatic strides in its push toward renewable energy, particularly wind power. Several offshore wind project policy decisions involving billions of dollars in investment, projects, and infrastructure were made before he took office. But Trump’s reversal of that Biden-era clean energy aid — along with an executive order suspending offshore wind leasing and permitting — has brought development along the East Coast to a near standstill. Energy experts warn that the stalling could hurt states’ climate goals and derail America’s renewable energy ambitions for the next decade, potentially costing billions of dollars.
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Trump Energy Policy Halts Offshore Progress
On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order halting new and renewal approvals for offshore wind projects pending a full federal review. The order effectively withdraws federal waters from offshore wind leasing and suspends agency operations across multiple departments, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
While the review remains incomplete, the White House has declined to provide details or a timeline for a resolution.
“The result I fear is unexplained delays,” said Jonathan Elkind, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. “There’s no transparency here.”
Permits revoked, projects canceled
Since the order, numerous wind projects have had their air permits revoked, environmental assessments delayed, and construction halted. As a result of regulatory uncertainty, a major offshore project in New Jersey has pulled out of its state power contract after the EPA’s decision to revoke its permit. France-based renewable energy developer EDF has formally withdrawn from its $5 billion Atlantic Shores offshore wind project in New Jersey, which was set to generate up to 1,500 megawatts of power, decarbonize the U.S. power grid, and provide clean electricity to more than 700,000 homes.
Industry data shows that 22 wind farms spanning states from Massachusetts to North Carolina are either on hold in the planning stages or have been pulled out of the pipeline entirely. In the New York Bay, once a centerpiece of Biden’s offshore wind campaign, at least two projects have been formally canceled.
The delays would affect about 22 gigawatts of planned capacity — enough to power millions of homes.
$114B Offshore Wind investments at risk
Natalie Gunnell, Shell’s renewable energy division imge: linkedln
According to an April analysis by BloombergNEF, the Trump’s energy policy changes have forced developers to pull out of projects that have yet to reach a final investment decision (FID). Without assurances of federal support, companies are delaying supplier contracts, canceling financing rounds and exiting joint ventures.
Shell and Equinor, the two largest investors in the sector, have already pulled out of key offshore developments in New Jersey. Shell has confirmed that it will not be building any new offshore wind projects in the United States.
“The commercial situation is no longer viable,” said Natalie Gunnell, a spokeswoman for Shell’s renewable energy division.
The Republican Party has moved to repeal the Clean Energy Tax Incentive.
The industry slowdown comes amid efforts in Congress to repeal key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, including the Clean Energy Investment Tax Credit. Clean energy projects would have to begin construction within 60 days to qualify for the home-grown energy package, and would be phased out entirely by 2028.
The current Senate version drops the 60-day provision while maintaining the phase-out provision. Industry advocates argue that the proposed changes add another layer of uncertainty, further cooling investment.
“It’s creating an environment where financing and procurement deals are not moving forward,” said Harrison Schoeller, an offshore wind analyst at BloombergNEF.
Supply chain expansion stalls nationwide
Beyond the coast, the impact is being felt across the U.S. wind supply chain. For example, Siemens Gamesa’s plan to open a Virginia blade manufacturing facility in 2023 was canceled due to insufficient demand. Vestas’ proposed nacelle assembly plant in New Jersey has been quietly shelved.
As domestic suppliers retreat, future U.S. wind projects could become more reliant on imports—with developers facing potential tariffs on European components proposed by the Trump administration.
As a result, analysts estimate that production costs could increase by up to 25% over current policy conditions.
Climate Goals at risk
The United States is now expected to generate just 6.1 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, 20% of the Biden administration’s original 30-gigawatt goal. Eleven states with offshore wind targets are unlikely to meet them, according to a project-by-project review by BloombergNEF.
“There’s been a chilling effect across the industry,” said Katharine Collins, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition. “We’re seeing projects being scrapped and approvals being delayed nationwide.”
The impact extends beyond power generation. Thousands of green jobs, from technicians to engineers, are at risk in shipbuilding, steelmaking and port construction. State officials have begun revising energy roadmaps as the federal government restricts wind development.
South Fork Wind Farm
One example of Biden’s success in offshore wind projects is the name of South Fork Wind Farm. It is New York’s first commercial offshore wind farm and is considered a milestone toward meeting the United States’ 2030 renewable energy goals.
The 150-megawatt offshore wind farm is a groundbreaking project in the search for sustainable energy solutions. It is the first offshore wind project in the United States to connect to the national grid in 2024. It is one of the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration, symbolizing the 2030 wind policy.
Jointly owned by Danish multinational Orsted and US energy supplier Eversource, the wind farm has a capacity of 130 megawatts and can generate clean energy for more than 70,000 homes. It is a major step towards achieving New York’s goal of generating 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Located about 35 miles off the coast of Montauk, the wind farm is expected to eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions over its lifetime, the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road for the next 20 years.
South Fork Wind is providing more than 1,200 direct construction jobs and thousands more indirect and induced jobs. Hundreds of New Yorkers, engineers, electricians and conservationists are operating the South Fork Wind project. It aims to create thousands of long-term and temporary environmentally friendly jobs, support training programs, fund scientific research and provide opportunities for underserved communities.
Some Hope, But Not Clear
Despite the stalemate, a handful of offshore wind farms are under construction, including Empire Wind in New York, and are expected to be completed by 2027, adding about 5.7 gigawatts of power to the East Coast grid. But experts warn that these projects represent legacy investments from previous administrations, not signs of future progress.
“There are still opportunities here,” said Hilary Bright of the national offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward. “But without policy coordination, those opportunities won’t materialize.”
The Bottom line
The future of offshore wind in the U.S. under the Trump’s energy policy with administration’s current energy strategy is highly uncertain. With billions in clean energy investments on hold and dozens of projects stuck in regulatory deadlock, the path to a low-carbon energy grid is narrowing. The U.S. is moving away from green policies, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Absent major federal policy changes or legislative compromises, America’s offshore wind projects ambitions will likely remain on hold for the next decade.
