The Trump administration’s energy policies are jeopardizing the creation of new jobs in the wind, solar, and other alternative energy sectors, a report by a transition outlet has warned.
According to E2, jobs in energy transition industries grew much faster than jobs in the conventional energy sectors in the past few years, but now the trend is reversing, with the outlet saying that “recent policy actions by Congress and the Trump administration have already resulted in major job losses in the industry, with more expected to come.”
The report said that last year, new jobs in the transition space came close to 100,000, bringing the total to 3.56 million. However, this was already a slowdown from 2023 despite pro-transition policies pursued by the Biden administration. E2 blamed the slowdown on “policy uncertainty and an overall slowing of job and economic growth.” Even so, the group said that more than 80% of all new energy jobs last year in the United States were in alternative energy sectors.
“What these numbers show is that this was one of the hottest and most promising job sectors in the country at the end of 2024,” Bob Keefe, E2’s executive director, said. “Now, clean energy job growth is at serious risk – and with it, our overall economy.”
Since President Trump took office, almost $19 billion worth of wind and solar power generation projects have been canceled, according to U.S. consultancy Atlas Public Policy. As the new administration slashed subsidies and regulatory support for wind and solar, companies involved in these industries have canceled projects worth a total $18.6 billion.
The radical change in federal government attitudes towards the wind and solar industries has already shaken them, causing bankruptcies and stock price slumps. Job losses in this context are practically inevitable, especially with local communities’ opposition to new wind and solar capacity continues to grow.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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