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Clean energy project cancellations sweep the US after federal rollback

Clean energy project cancellations sweep the US after federal rollback

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216 projects since January 2025 erase 468,000 jobs and $68 billion; Republican districts account for the largest share

September 26th, 2026: E2 impact analysis counts 216 project cancellations

Overview

Updated Sep 26

Since January 2025, companies and the federal government have cancelled or downsized 216 large-scale clean energy projects across the US. The abandoned projects represent $68.2 billion in capital investment and 468,000 jobs that are no longer supported, according to analysis by BW Research for the clean energy group E2.

The cancellations trace to two forces: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which rolled back tax credits for manufacturing and renewable electricity, and executive actions that cancelled federal grants and blocked solar and wind permitting. Republican congressional districts account for roughly half the affected funding and the largest share of private-sector cancellations, even though their representatives supported the rollback.

Why it matters

Cancelled solar, wind, and battery projects remove power for 3 million homes while job losses concentrate in districts that supported the rollback.

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Key Indicators

216
Clean energy projects cancelled or downsized since January 2025
Includes solar, wind, battery storage, EV manufacturing, and hydrogen projects.
468,000
Jobs no longer supported by cancelled projects
124,500 construction jobs annually for five years plus 343,500 permanent jobs.
$68.2B
Cancelled capital investment
Capital that would have funded construction and equipment for the cancelled projects.
$48.4B
Lost annual operational investment
Goods, services, and ongoing spending the projects would have generated each year.
3 million
Homes that lost power from cancelled capacity
Cancelled projects include 10 GW solar, 3.75 GW wind, and 9 GW battery storage.

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People Involved

Donald Trump
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Overseeing clean energy policy rollbacks
 Amit Mehta
Amit Mehta
U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia
Issued stipulated judgments finding DOE grant cancellations illegal
 Greg Gianforte
Greg Gianforte
Governor of Montana (Republican)
Backed a hydrogen hub the DOE defunded

Organizations Involved

U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Federal agency
Cancelled nearly $8 billion in clean energy grants

The federal agency that administers energy research, nuclear weapons, and energy policy programs, including clean energy grant programs.
E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs)
E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs)
Non-profit business group
Tracks clean energy employment and project cancellations

A national nonpartisan business group that advocates for policies that create jobs and economic opportunity through clean energy.
General Motors (GM)
General Motors (GM)
Automaker
Scaled back EV production lines

One of the largest US automakers, with major electric vehicle production investments that have been scaled back.
Climate Power
Climate Power
Advocacy organization
Tracks cancelled projects and stalled investments

A clean energy advocacy group that publishes monthly snapshots of project cancellations, job losses, and stalled investment.

Timeline

August 2022 September 2026

11 events Latest: September 26th, 2026 · 2 months ago Showing 8 of 11
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. E2 impact analysis counts 216 project cancellations

    Latest Analysis

    BW Research analysis for E2 documents 468,000 jobs lost and $68.2 billion in cancelled capital investment since January 2025.

  2. E2 reports 36,949 clean energy jobs lost in 2025

    Analysis

    First annual job decline in the US clean economy since the pandemic, erasing 40% of 2024's new jobs.

  3. Reuters finds EV investment concentrated in Trump states

    Analysis

    About 87% of EV-related investments announced since 2015 went to states Trump won in 2024.

  4. Second stipulated judgment reinforces ruling

    Legal

    Mehta again found the grant termination unlawful, addressing the administration's motivation across all cancellations.

  5. First stipulated judgment finds DOE cancellations illegal

    Legal

    Judge Amit P. Mehta concluded the administration acted illegally in terminating $7.6 billion in clean energy grants.

  6. DOE cancels nearly $8 billion in clean energy grants

    Policy

    Department of Energy terminated funding for 200+ projects including hydrogen hubs, grid upgrades, and carbon capture.

  7. Northwest hydrogen hub and Spokane grid project defunded

    Policy

    DOE cancelled the $1 billion Pacific Northwest hydrogen hub and Washington State University research grants.

  8. E2 reports $24 billion in 2025 cancellations

    Analysis

    Companies cancelled or downsized clean energy projects worth $24 billion through September, per E2 tracking.

  9. One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law

    Legal

    Rolled back clean energy tax credits and programs established by the Inflation Reduction Act.

  10. Trump administration begins clean energy rollbacks

    Policy

    New administration suspends permitting for solar and wind projects and signals plans to reverse clean energy policies.

  11. Inflation Reduction Act signed into law

    Legal

    Established clean energy tax credits that triggered a wave of manufacturing and generation investment across the US.

Scenarios

1

Court orders DOE to restore cancelled clean energy grants

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: CT Mirror coverage of stipulated judgments; legal analysts following D.D.C. cases

Judge Amit P. Mehta already found the grant cancellations illegal in January and June 2026. Plaintiffs could press for final relief requiring the DOE to reinstate terminated grants or provide equivalent funding. Congressional Democrats from affected states, including Connecticut's senators, have publicly pressured the administration to comply with the rulings.

2

Congress restores clean energy tax credits in new legislation

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Congressional Democrats; E2 analysis showing job losses; pv magazine reporting

A second consecutive year of clean energy job losses could build political pressure to restore rolled-back tax credits. Republican lawmakers from districts with major cancellations face constituent pressure as construction jobs vanish. The 28 GOP districts with cancelled DOE grants are early indicators of where that pressure could emerge.

3

Cancellation wave slows as industry adapts to reduced federal support

Possible Resolves by Q1 2028

Discussed by: E2 quarterly Clean Economy Works reports

Some clean energy projects remain viable without federal tax credits, particularly where state incentives or market power prices cover costs. The pace of new announcements would need to exceed cancellations for two consecutive quarters to signal stabilization. E2's quarterly tracking will show whether that happens.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2010-2012

Spain's solar feed-in tariff reversal (2010-2012)

Spain built Europe's largest solar market through generous feed-in tariffs. In 2010, the government retroactively cut tariffs and later capped generation hours. New installations fell to a fraction of prior levels, and solar sector employment dropped by more than half within two years.

Then

Solar installation companies collapsed and tens of thousands of workers lost jobs.

Now

Spain's domestic solar industry never recovered; the country's solar market lagged European peers for nearly a decade.

Why this matters now

Shows how policy reversals on subsidy-dependent energy technologies can destroy industries built on those policies.

1972-1988

US nuclear plant cancellations (1972-1988)

US utilities ordered 253 nuclear plants in the 1970s; 128 were cancelled by 1988. Construction cost overruns, rising safety requirements, and regulatory delays made the plants uneconomic. Billions in invested capital were written off.

Then

Utilities absorbed massive losses; some, like Washington Public Power Supply System, defaulted on bonds.

Now

No new nuclear plant was ordered for decades, and the industry's credibility collapsed.

Why this matters now

Policy and regulatory shifts can strand massive capital investments in energy infrastructure, with effects lasting for decades.

Sources

(11)
+5
E2 pv magazine USA E&E News by POLITICO Reuters The Guardian The Spokesman-Review CT Mirror Climate Power Reddit r/energy E2 E2