CLEAN ENERGY OPTIMISM FOR 2026?

Despite obstacles posed by President Trump, the sector made some notable progress this year, advocates say

- BY JENNIFER MCDERMOTT

BRIAN VAN DER BRUG Los Angeles Times SOLAR panels are installed last year at a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power site in Kern County.

There were some highs amid a lot of lows in a roller coaster year for clean energy as President Trump worked to boost polluting fuels while blocking wind and solar, according to dozens of energy developers, experts and politicians.

Surveyed by the Associated Press, many described 2025 as turbulent and challenging for clean energy, though there was progress as projects connected to the electric grid. They said clean energy must continue to grow to meet demand for electricity to power data centers and to lower Americans’ utility bills.

Energy policy whiplash in 2025

The year began with ample federal subsidies for clean energy technologies, a growing number of U.S. -based companies making parts and materials for projects and a lot of demand from states and corporations, said Tom Harper, partner at global consultant Baringa.

It ends with subsidies stripped back, a weakened supply chain, higher costs from tariffs and some customers questioning their commitment to clean energy, Harper said. He described the year as “paradigm shifting.”

Trump called wind and solar power “the scam of the century” and vowed not to approve new projects. The federal government canceled grants for hundreds of projects.

The Republicans’ tax bill reversed or steeply curtailed clean energy programs established through the Democrats’ flagship climate and healthcare bill in 2022. Wayne Winegarden of the Pacific Research Institute think tank said the time has come for alternative energy to demonstrate viability without subsidies.

(Fossil fuels also receive subsidies.)