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US Solar Industry Warns of Massive Job and Energy Losses Under Proposed House Legislation

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Representational image. Credit: Canva

Legislation recently advanced by the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the House Budget Committee poses a significant threat to the nationโ€™s solar and energy storage industries. According to new analysis from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the bill could jeopardize nearly 300 American solar and storage factories and result in the loss of 145,000 gigawatt-hours of projected solar generation by 2030โ€”more than the annual electricity consumption of the state of Pennsylvania.

If enacted without changes, the legislation could lead to the loss of nearly 300,000 current and future American jobs, including 86,000 in solar manufacturing. The analysis highlights that roughly 80 percent of the factories, jobs, and investments at risk are located in states that supported President Trump in the last election.

The legislation could trigger an immediate pullback in clean energy investments, with up to 220 billion dollars in solar and storage investment projected to be lost by 2030. This comes at a time when the U.S. needs to add over 206 gigawatts of new energy capacity to meet demand, with solar expected to contribute approximately 73 percent of that total.

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The bill would also repeal Section 25D of the tax code, eliminating the residential solar tax credit. This measure has been a key driver of household-level solar adoption, particularly for middle-class families. Without it, many Americans would lose access to affordable, clean energy options and the opportunity to reduce utility costs.

SEIA warns that these policy changes could slow economic growth, increase energy bills, and weaken national energy resilience.

โ€œThere is still time to improve this bill which, as written, represents a crisis for Americaโ€™s ability to build the energy infrastructure we need to meet surging demand,โ€ said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. โ€œIf this proposal becomes law, nearly 300 U.S. factoriesโ€”mostly in red statesโ€”could close or never open, and we simply wonโ€™t have the energy we need to power American innovation in AI and data centers.โ€


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