(NewsUSA) - The passage into law of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act marks a substantial shift in U.S. energy policy — reversing policies that have powered energy growth to meet skyrocketing energy demand. While proponents cast it as a pro-growth, budget‑cutting measure, its impact on America’s burgeoning solar, wind, and storage industries is profoundly concerning.

The bill phases out clean energy tax credits rapidly. These credits helped in the deployment of 49 GW of energy capacity in 2024 alone — representing 93% of all new electricity generation. Cutting them short now disrupts manufacturing, risks hundreds of thousands of jobs and could lead to increased electricity rates across the country.

U.S. electricity demand is expected to rise 35–50% by 2040, primarily fueled by the increase in data centers and the artificial intelligence. Clean energy—wind, solar, storage—is positioned to fill that gap. With more than 2,000 GW queued for interconnection and 95% of upcoming projects coming from renewables, derailing this pipeline now raises serious concerns about meeting future energy needs.

The clean energy economy is a powerhouse: 320 GW of utility-scale capacity, supporting nearly 80 million homes, sustaining 1.4 million jobs, and contributing $18 billion to GDP annually. Faster tax credit phase-outs threaten to stall U.S. manufacturing growth spurred by the demand of clean energy components— undermining U.S. competitiveness against countries like China and forfeiting thousands of high-paying jobs in rural America.

While incentives for oil, gas, coal, nuclear, hydrogen, and carbon capture remain strong, solar and wind now face additional hurdles to the detriment of energy reliability. The bill unmistakably tilts federal policy toward specific energy sources at a time when diversification is key to grid resilience.

As a result, the threat of higher consumer prices and diminished grid reliability without clean energy’s rapid expansion is real. We need every reliable energy source—but we also need coherence in federal policy that doesn’t undercut one side of the energy spectrum.

This new law will slow the renewable boom. Developers and consumers in this race know the stakes: global competitiveness, energy affordability, and environmental stewardship. Our national interest demands it. The new law is a step back—and America’s energy future deserves better.