solar energy – Even as Donald Trump’s administration has pursued aggressive actions against clean energy—especially wind—solar continues to surge. From the federal decision to pay nearly $800 million to cancel wind projects to the administration’s moves that undercut solar t
For much of the past few years. the fight over renewable energy in the United States has felt like a tug-of-war with a clear target: wind. Under Donald Trump. the administration has gone after wind projects with unusual force. and the latest price tag was steep—nearly $800 million paid by the administration to cancel wind energy projects. It marked the third time taxpayer money was used to kill a clean energy initiative that was already underway.
Solar hasn’t been the obvious headline target in the same way. Still, Trump has attacked the industry and taken steps that make growth harder. Last August. he wrote that solar energy—along with wind—was the “SCAM OF THE CENTURY. ” adding that his administration would not approve any “farmer-destroying solar.”.
The striking part is that solar has kept accelerating anyway.
Solar is now starting to outperform coal in terms of energy production, according to the energy think tank Ember. Ember also found that solar met 61 percent of U.S. electricity demand growth last year. The scale of installation underscores the point: the U.S. installed 43 gigawatts of solar power in 2025, down from a record-breaking 50 gigawatts in 2024. Even with that dip, 43 gigawatts is still a huge number—and the pace was relentless. New solar was being installed every 59 seconds throughout last year.
Asked why wind seems to be treated more harshly than solar. Ryan Kellogg. a professor of climate and energy policy at the University of Chicago. pointed to permitting and the practical hurdles around offshore wind. He said that for offshore wind. “you need a whole slew of federal permits” and “you need to get the Department of Defense involved.” With solar. the barriers can be different. Kellogg explained that solar can often be built by purchasing private land and putting down a solar farm. with fewer immediate objections about blocking views.
Wind. he said. comes with a package of issues that are more visible and harder to ignore: “They’re certainly not as visible as the big megawatt wind turbines. which you can see for miles around.” He added that wind turbines generate noise and “shadow” flicker. while “that’s much less true of a solar facility.”.
There’s also the question of where land can be used. Kellogg said solar panels can generate energy anywhere there is sunlight, while wind farms have to be placed in areas with lots of wind—largely in the middle of the country or offshore.
That matters politically, too. Gilbert Michaud. an assistant professor of environmental policy at Loyola University Chicago. said many people—especially in red states—support private property rights. He argued that. in theory. a farmer should be able to lease or sell land to a private renewable energy developer. But. in practice. he said it’s “a lot easier than offshore wind” when the project is a “medium-scale solar farm on leased agricultural land.”.
Behind the policy fight and the land-use debate is a simple arithmetic: economics. Michaud said the cost of solar has gone down significantly more than wind. and solar is expected to continue decreasing in price as the market grows and the panels become more effective at capturing energy. The administration may be trying to push renewables to struggle without support, but the market momentum has not stopped.
Since returning to office, Trump has targeted solar in multiple ways. Tax incentives have historically helped make solar power affordable. and some of those are being phased out as the Trump administration dismantles the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump also signed an executive order in July of last year that made it even more difficult for solar companies to obtain tax credits. The administration has further made it harder for the industry to work with manufacturers in China. where most solar panels are produced.
Those moves have shown up in the installation numbers: new solar was installing less in 2025 than in 2024. Still, Michaud said the industry’s long-term trajectory is not simply a shutdown. Without the tax credits. he said. “we’re going to see how renewables stand on their own.” He added that solar is still going to grow. but “at a decreasing rate. ” with “the curve” not expected to “be exponentially increasing the way it was under the Biden-era credits.”.
Growth has continued in the forms that reach into everyday life. The solar industry is expanding not only through big solar farms but also through millions of homes equipped with rooftop solar. There’s also increasing attention on “balcony solar. ” a setup that can let people generate solar power at home even if they can’t install rooftop systems.
The demand side may be helping explain why solar keeps finding room to grow. Energy demand is expected to rise as massive AI companies build energy-hungry data centers around the country. and solar is positioned to help meet some of that need. Michaud said that energy demand is growing, and many AI and data center facilities are going into red states. If a state can attract firms by offering 100 percent renewable energy. he said. it can become part of a broader economic development strategy.
In other words. the administration can limit what the country builds—especially in the wind category that depends on extensive federal permitting and high-visibility infrastructure—but it’s harder to stop the smaller. distributed. solar-from-all-kinds-of-land story that’s already taking shape. For Americans who are frustrated by high energy costs. the practical appeal remains: it’s one thing to tell people they can’t build giant wind turbines. It’s another to convince them they can’t put solar panels on private property and start generating electricity—particularly when the demand for power is only going higher.
Trump administration wind energy solar energy Inflation Reduction Act tax credits offshore wind permits China solar panels electricity demand growth Ember AI data centers rooftop solar balcony solar