A recent analysis by nonpartisan business group E2 and BW Research finds that the rollback of federal clean energy policies under the Trump administration has led to the cancellation, closure or scaling back of 216 large-scale clean energy manufacturing and power projects since January 2025. These actions have erased an estimated $68.2 billion in private capital investment and cost nearly 470,000 jobs.
According to the report, the affected projects would have contributed more than $90 billion to U.S. GDP during construction and added roughly $55 billion annually once operational. In addition to the lost capital, communities will miss out on about $48.4 billion in operational spending each year, nearly $53 billion in construction wages, and $31 billion in annual employee compensation after facilities opened.
State and local governments are also expected to forgo nearly $20 billion in tax revenue from construction activities and about $12 billion annually from operating projects. E2 points to the administration’s rollback of tax incentives under the so-called Big Bill Act and other measures that have delayed or blocked solar, wind, battery storage and offshore wind developments.
The report breaks down job losses by sector. Battery storage projects account for more than 42,000 lost construction positions, solar projects for nearly 33,000, and electric vehicle (EV) facilities for almost 28,000. In the longer term, EV manufacturing would have supported nearly 255,000 permanent jobs, battery storage nearly 64,000 and solar around 19,000.
“These project cancellations mean fewer construction workers on site, fewer suppliers filling orders and fewer dollars flowing through local economies,” said Michael Timberlake, E2’s director of research and publications. Phil Jordan, CEO of BW Research Partnership, added that reliable data on energy sector jobs is essential as clean energy has driven significant economic growth in recent years.
The report also highlights the broader economic impact of the lost capacity—about 10 GW of solar, 3.75 GW of wind and 9 GW of battery storage, enough to power roughly 3 million homes. This shortfall comes as demand for electricity rises due to data center growth, electrification efforts and new manufacturing projects.
Source: Electrek
