The U.S. solar industry revealed its lobbying strategy for the incoming Trump administration, focusing on its role as a domestic jobs engine to meet rising power demand, while omitting any mention of climate change. This marks a shift from its previous stance under the Biden administration, where the sector benefited from subsidies in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). With Trump vowing to rescind the IRA, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) presented its top 10 priorities for the first 100 days of his presidency, positioning solar energy as crucial for American energy security.
SEIA urged the administration to support policies that expand domestic solar manufacturing and reduce reliance on China, as well as ease restrictions on infrastructure investments and grid connections for solar projects. The trade group also advocated for low taxes and policies that promote consumer energy choice. SEIA CEO Abigail Ross Hopper emphasized that solar is key to addressing America’s growing electricity needs, particularly in sectors like manufacturing, data centers, cryptocurrency, and AI.
The policy agenda made no reference to climate change or the IRA, in contrast to SEIA’s 2020 report, which had supported carbon pricing and highlighted climate concerns. While SEIA had also pushed for tariff reductions under Biden, it did not raise this issue in the new document, despite Trump’s aggressive stance on tariffs. SEIA noted that U.S. solar capacity grew 128% during Trump’s first term. Some priorities, like expanding solar on public lands and bolstering domestic manufacturing, remain unchanged.
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