US Clean Energy Project Tracker Update: See How Much Your State Is Losing

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Last Updated on: 24th June 2025, 01:39 pm

According to the latest update from the clean energy organization E2, the US racked up an impressive $444 million in new clean energy investments during the month of May. So much for the good news. On the minus side, the US also saw another $1.4 billion in project cancellations and downscalings in May, signifying a collapse of investor confidence in US support for the energy transition.

Clean Energy Investing In The USA: What Goes Up …

E2 has made a specialty of tracking clean energy projects initiated after Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. The “Inflation Reduction” title masked the bill’s true identity as a climate action measure, aimed partly at stimulating the domestic production of all things clean, including EVs and EV batteries as well as stationary energy storage, wind, and solar, among others (see more IRA background here).

Despite the good intentions in terms of economic activity and job creation, exactly zero Republican members of Congress voted for the IRA — that’s both the House and Senate, for the record. However, pass it did on a slim majority of Democratic votes, and it was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden on August 16 of 2022.

The IRA worked as intended, fostering a solid platform of federal support for new clean energy projects. Overall, E2 counts 397 projects in its post-IRA tracker for a total of $132 billion in planned investments in 42 states, with the potential for hiring 123,000 permanent workers.

… Must Come Down.

The IRA is still the law of the land, but only in name. US President Donald Trump has targeted the EV movement for elimination, along with wind and solar energy. If Congress felt inclined to offer some checks and balances, it could compel the White House to support the law and dispel the cloud of uncertainty hanging over clean energy investors. However, members of the Republican Party hold the majority now. They are not inclined to challenge the malevolently incompetent Commander-in-Chief who occupies the White House. Instead, they are gleefully disassembling key parts of the IRA, regardless of the cost to their constituents.

And oh boy, is it costing. The IRA ended up supported more clean energy projects in Republican-dominated congressional districts than in Democratic districts by a wide margin. Math being what it is, the collapse of confidence is hitting those states harder.

According to E2’s records through May, 62% of the clean energy projects announced after the IRA became law were located in Republican congressional districts. Those districts also raked in 71% of the jobs and a whopping 82% of the investments.

So, it’s not surprising to see Republican districts bear the brunt of the project cancellations and downscalings that occurred after Trump took office in January. E2 counts a total of $15.5 billion in investments and 12,000 jobs that have evaporated so far this year, with congressional districts represented by Republicans coming out as the biggest losers.

“More than $9 billion in investments and almost 10,000 jobs have been cancelled, delayed or closed in Republican districts so far in 2025,” E2 summarizes.

Oh, The Law Of Unintended Consequences, It Burns

The loss of jobs and investor dollars is just the tip of the energy iceberg. The cancellation of clean energy projects will also have a ripple effect on electricity ratepayers regardless of their political affiliation, warns E2 Communications Director Micheal Timberlake. “These cancellations are just the first shoe to drop,” he advises. “With renewable energy supplying more than 90 percent of new electricity in America last year, canceled projects will likely mean less available energy and higher electricity prices for consumers and business alike.”

That thing about 90 percent is not a typo. For various reasons, new wind, solar, and storage projects have a much shorter proposal-to-operation timeline than gas or nuclear power plants. Depending on the market, they are much more economical, too.

Last year, solar alone accounted for 84% of all new electricity generating capacity in the US, to the record-setting tune of 50 gigawatts according to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association.

With the nation’s ratepayers thirsting for more kilowatts, more quickly and affordably, it seems kind of weird that Republican members of Congress would even consider throttling down the domestic solar industry at this moment in time. So, why are they doing it? Who knows! Ask a Republican.

A Glimmer Of Light At The End Of The Clean Energy Tunnel

Weird or not, Republican members of Congress are operating in lockstep, and the E2 tracker outlines the damages in dollars and cents. “The consequences of continued policy uncertainty and the expectation of higher taxes on clean energy businesses are becoming painfully clear,” Timberlake emphasized in a press statement. “Businesses are reacting to the Senate’s proposal — like the House’s — that would drastically scale back the very tax credits that had been driving an American energy and manufacturing boom.”

The focus on businesses is not an accident. Sure, clean energy will help forestall catastrophic climate change, but it’s also good business for investors and a money-saver for ratepayers.

Despite the overall gloom of the situation, E2 does draw attention to a trickle of new clean energy announcements. Among eight projects announced in May, E2 takes note of EV maker Rivian’s new $120 million supplier park in Illinois, for example.

Another significant new EV project comes under the umbrella of the electric bus maker Damera, which is investing $31 million to open a new factory in Illinois.

A third project is of interest because it indicates confidence in the availability of spent solar panels for recycling over the long term. On May 5, the firm Commercial Solar Panel Recycling announced that it has added a new facility in the solar-friendly state of New Jersey, complementing its two existing recycling plants in California and New York.

All five of the remaining projects involve equipment needed for grid infrastructure. Of special note is a $51 million investment by Hyosung HICO, a US branch of the leading Korean firm Hyosung Heavy Industries, to expand their existing factory in Tennessee. Hyosung HICO specializes in powerful 765kV transformers that can help the US shuttle electricity around the grid more efficiently. The transformer angle is significant because it raises the potential for shunting clean energy from solar- and wind-rich states to less optimal regions.

Hyosung investment is another indication that clean energy stakeholders are already eyeballing a comeback for renewables after Trump leaves office. After all, presidents come and go, but the wind and the sun will be sticking around forever.

Image (cropped): The abrupt shift in federal energy policy has thrown cold water on clean energy investment in the US, but eight substantial new projects were announced in May relating to EVs, solar, and grid infrastructure (courtesy of E2).