Green Energy Benefits Red States The Most. Will Trump Halt Biden Climate Laws?

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One of the landmark pieces of legislation of the Biden presidency was the Inflation Reduction Act. Providing tax credits for large renewable energy projects and incentives for individual home and vehicle energy efficiency upgrades, the IRA sparked massive, unprecedented growth in the clean energy industry. Since the IRA was signed into law on August 16, 2022, developers have announced more than $130 billion in clean energy investments across 350 projects throughout the United States, with at least 110,000 new jobs announced.

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While Trump has vowed to roll back the Inflation Reduction Act, labeling it the “Green New Scam” and pledging to rescind any unspent funds associated with it, it is his supporters who have benefited from the IRA the most. Conservative political belief is most prevalent in sunny, low-density plains states with well-developed grid infrastructure and relaxed regulatory environments, making some of the most Republican counties the best suited for the renewable energy transition.

The nonpartisan organization E2 tracks new clean economy projects and tallies their investment costs and associated job announcements. According to E2 data, of the 20 states with the most new clean energy investment per capita since the passage of the IRA, only three – New Mexico, Illinois, and Colorado – went to Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Some of the states where Trump enjoyed the largest margin of victory – such as Tennessee and Mississippi – rank among the top 10 states with the most new green jobs announced per capita.

The battleground states that swung hard for Trump – Nevada, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina – all rank among the top 10 states in both new clean energy investment per capita and new green jobs per capita. Meanwhile, states that went to Biden in 2020 and Harris in 2024 – like Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maryland – have seen relatively little clean energy investment since the passage of the IRA.

The conflict between the ongoing clean energy boom in Republican-leaning states and Trump’s vows to reverse Biden era climate action has created an environment of uncertainty in the green investment space. Clean energy stocks plummeted on Election Day, while shares of the EV carmaker Tesla – owing to the CEO’s tight partnership with the president-elect in the final months of the race – skyrocketed. As solar and wind energy costs fall and the power grid continues to decarbonize, it is unclear whether Trump can contain the green energy boom.