Donald Trump wants to kill clean energy. His administration is paying nearly $800 million in taxpayer money to cancel wind projects — the third time they've done it. But there's a problem: the solar industry isn't cooperating with the shutdown plan.
Last August, Trump called solar energy the "SCAM OF THE CENTURY" and vowed his administration wouldn't approve any "farmer-destroying solar." The industry installed it anyway — 43 gigawatts of solar power in 2025 alone, which means new panels were going up every 59 seconds throughout the year.
Solar is now outperforming coal in energy production, according to energy think tank Ember. It met 61 percent of U.S. electricity demand growth last year.
So why isn't Trump targeting solar the way he does wind? According to Rolling Stone's analysis, it's visibility. Wind turbines are massive and visible for miles, generating noise complaints — Trump's personal concern. Solar panels sit on private land and are easy to ignore unless they're in someone's backyard.
Ryan Kellogg, a climate and energy policy professor at the University of Chicago, tells Rolling Stone that wind requires federal permits, Department of Defense involvement, and bureaucratic approval. Solar is different: "You can buy up some private land and put down a solar farm, and no one's going to say it's blocking their view."
There is also more land available for solar. Wind farms need specific conditions — central U.S. or offshore locations with consistent wind. Solar works anywhere there's sunlight.
Trump's hostile push against renewables is failing where it should theoretically succeed. The solar industry continues to expand, and presidential opposition hasn't stopped it.
