So, like, on April 25, 2024, Elin Energy’s solar panel manufacturing facility in Brookshire, Texas was looking pretty impressive, you know? Brett Coomer from Houston Chronicle via Getty Images captured the whole vibe. Trust me, it’s legit.
Alright, listen up, folks. Back in 2005, EcoWatch came into the scene as this cool Ohio-based environmental newspaper. They were all about spreading the word on environmental stuff in a super science-based way. No fake news here, just the real deal.
Now, let’s talk about President Donald Trump. In his first 100 days in office, he did all these things like executive orders and tariffs that totally messed up the clean energy game. The momentum for clean energy jobs and manufacturing took a nosedive after having a major boost for two years. It’s like, what even happened, right?
According to Climate Power, a group all about environmental advocacy, a whopping 95 clean energy projects got messed with. That’s a big deal because it means 62,554 jobs and $71.24 billion in investments went down the drain. Climate Power dropped a press release to spill the tea on this whole situation.
The economy got all shaky thanks to the uncertainty about federal investments. Companies started rethinking their plans to invest in the U.S., which put a ton of jobs at risk. Lori Lodes, the big boss at Climate Power, didn’t hold back when she said, “Trump’s war on clean energy and his chaotic policies have already caused a hemorrhaging of manufacturing jobs in sectors that had been booming for two years.” Ouch.
Before Trump took office, the U.S. was on fire with factory construction thanks to some clean energy tax credits from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. This dude named Jon Ossoff, a Democratic U.S. Senator from Georgia, was all about it. He said those tax credits were a game-changer for Georgia, bringing in loads of private investments for electric vehicles, semiconductors, and solar energy manufacturing.
Ever since those tax credits came into play, clean energy companies announced over 400,000 new jobs, mostly in manufacturing. But, when Trump came in, everything changed. The growth in clean energy jobs went from 406,000 between August 2022 and December 2024 to 399,000 by the end of the first quarter of the current year. Not a good look.
Manish Bapna, the top dog at the Natural Resources Defense Council, straight-up called out the Trump administration. He said they’re messing up big time with the environment and public health. Bapna warned that if this trend continues, it’s gonna take a whole generation or more to fix the mess they’re making.
According to Climate Power, a bunch of green manufacturing projects got axed in the first quarter of 2025. That’s a major blow, my friends. The press release from Climate Power also mentioned that those remaining 399,000 jobs are hanging by a thread. If the clean energy tax credits get axed, it’s game over for those jobs.
States like Michigan, Ohio, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona are feeling the heat from Trump’s policies. They’re the ones who stand to lose the most if those tax credits disappear. Jon Ossoff from Georgia wasn’t having it. He said it would be a total betrayal to vote against Georgia’s economic interests and risk losing all the progress they’ve made.
So, like, it’s a tough situation out there. The future of clean energy jobs and manufacturing is up in the air. Let’s hope things turn around before it’s too late. Stay tuned, folks.
