For clean energy advocates in the U.S., 2025 was a year to forget. A new report laid bare just how bleak the year was.

What's happening?

As Grist reported, clean energy think tank E2 released a new report revealing that over $35 billion in clean energy projects were lost in 2025. That number is around 10 times the amount of the previous two years combined.

"That's pretty jarring considering how much progress we made in previous years," E2's director of research and publications, Michael Timberlake, told Grist. "The rest of the world is generally doubling down or transitioning further, and the U.S. is now becoming increasingly combative."

It's not one singular piece of legislation that created the change. The election of Donald Trump, though, began a chain of events. First, Trump's stated preference for oil and gas over clean energy scared off investors and companies.

Trump followed that up with executive orders targeting many clean energy projects, and offshore wind especially attracted his ire. The administration also undid policies that incentivized clean energy adoption while removing funding from a range of projects.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cemented even more changes. The policy negatively affected EV makers and suppliers, removed tax credits for clean energy, and disincentivized consumers from buying EVs or solar panels. It also added doubt to the equation, discouraging would-be investors.

Why is shrinking clean energy investment concerning?

These canceled projects aren't just a missed opportunity for growing clean energy. They represent thousands of jobs lost. E2 estimated over 38,000 jobs were forfeited in 2025 alone.

Another side effect of canceling these projects is not addressing rising demand on the grid. The explosion of AI and the data centers that power them is overwhelming current capacity. Clean energy could provide a way to bolster the grid and help meet increasing demand while lowering utility bills.

The stalled momentum for clean energy projects and innovation also means that China is emerging as the global leader in this tech. That comes with its own security risks and concerns for America's future role at the forefront of the world economy.

There are also concerns about the long-term impacts on the planet. Fossil fuels like oil and gas add human-made pollution to this picture, and extreme weather events are increasing as a result.

What's being done about America's clean energy projects?

Clean energy advocates and states have won a series of lawsuits arguing that many of the Trump administration's moves were unconstitutional. Those legal victories mean a number of the projects are back underway. 

There is also hope that, under new leadership, other canceled projects or redirected resources can return to clean energy in a more favorable landscape.

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