The solar industry became a target in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, when his administration cut key federal tax credits, subsidies, and investments in solar power, as well as broader green technology initiatives.

The Republican president’s skepticism toward low-carbon energy, rooted in a combination of economic, aesthetic, and ideological objections, is well-known. At the World Economic Forum held in January 2025, Mr. Trump boasted of terminating former Democratic President Joe Biden’s “ridiculous” and “wasteful” Inflation Reduction Act – which, among other spending to support renewable energy, offered tax incentives to encourage solar power.

Yet as America’s demand for electricity rises – expected to grow at a 2.8% compound annual growth rate over the next 15 years – some Republican influencers such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who are still among the president’s most ardent supporters, are encouraging him to adopt a more…