Donald Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail was xenophobic, racist, and misogynistic, and now that he’s been elected president, many people in the crosshairs are afraid for their safety. But despite Trump’s negative comments about renewable energy—denying climate change, vowing to “save $100 billion that the United States is spending on climate policies,” dismissing wind and solar as uneconomic, and touting deregulation to ramp up oil, gas, and coal production—industry insiders say they’re not too worried.
Wind and solar prices have decreased dramatically in recent years, making them competitive with fossil fuels in many markets. Between 2009 and 2015, wind electricity capacity grew by more than 100 percent nationally, and solar capacity grew by more than 900 percent, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. Renewable energy has economic momentum and bipartisan support and will likely continue to succeed despite potential changes in federal policy.
It’s impossible to know for sure what Trump’s attitude toward renewable energy—or anything else—may be because he has not articulated detailed policies. His transition website has a short page titled “Energy Independence” that mentions support for renewable energy as well as “traditional” sources, but most of the text is devoted to deregulation for fossil fuels. Taking into account Trump’s promised moves that would be hostile to climate progress, including support for renewable energy, his presidency could mean 3.4 billion tons more greenhouse gas emissions than a Clinton one, according to a preelection report by analyst Lux Research.
Still, Trump may not be as hostile to renewable energy as he seems. “Mr. Trump, a lot of times, he will say stuff, and once he does research he will kind of backtrack,” said Debbie Dooley, a Trump supporter and outspoken Tea Party solar energy advocate who is president of the Green Tea Coalition and Conservatives for Energy Freedom, “and I fully believe that’s what’s happened with solar.”
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