Taking Stock of Energy and Climate Policy Since 2020

The report examines the shift in U.S. energy policy from 2020 to 2026, highlighting a conflict between the second Trump administration's efforts to roll back clean energy initiatives and a persistent bipartisan congressional consensus on 'clean firm' energy. While the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) significantly curtailed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits and rescinded grant funding, key credits for nuclear, geothermal, and carbon capture remained. The administration has aggressively targeted wind, solar, and electric vehicles through deregulation and the cancellation of billions in obligated funding, while the federal workforce has seen a significant loss of STEM expertise. However, the report notes that annual appropriations processes have partially mitigated the administration's requested spending cuts, and billions in prior clean energy outlays remain in place.

• The second Trump administration has aggressively targeted specific clean energy sectors, including wind, solar, electric vehicles, hydrogen, and building decarbonization, while showing more support for 'clean firm' electricity sources such as geothermal, nuclear fission, and fusion energy.
• The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) significantly reduced the financial scope of the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) clean energy tax credits, with the CBO estimating a $500 billion reduction in support over ten years. However, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that key credits still retain approximately 60% of their 2023 value, totaling about $280 billion through 2034.
• The Trump administration has attempted to cancel approximately $23 billion in federal funding across 650 clean energy projects where funds were obligated but not yet outlaid. This includes the termination of 321 financial awards totaling roughly $8 billion, primarily affecting the Office of Clean Energy Demonstration (42%) and the Grid Deployment Office (27%).
• There has been a significant loss of technical expertise within the federal government, with more than 10,000 STEM PhDs leaving since the start of the second Trump administration, disproportionately affecting the EPA, DOE, and NOAA.
• Despite the administration's requests for deep spending cuts in the FY26 President's Budget Request, Congress used the bipartisan appropriations process to maintain higher funding levels, though the FY26 Energy & Water bill still included a topline cut of about $1 billion for DOE clean energy priorities.
• The administration has pursued a comprehensive deregulatory agenda, including proposed rules to remove obligations from the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), repealing emissions standards for vehicles and fossil fuel-fired power plants, and issuing stop-work orders for offshore wind projects.
• The Loan Programs Office (LPO) was restructured into the Energy Dominance Financing Office via the OBBBA, shifting its focus toward critical minerals, electricity supply, and grid reliability, which now allows for the support of fossil-powered electricity generation.
• Between FY2021 and FY2025, the DOE obligated approximately $32.56 billion in clean energy spending, with $9.77 billion actually outlaid to recipients. These outlays, which increased from $668 million in FY21 to $3.63 billion in FY25, are considered difficult for the government to recover.

APA

Mitchell, A. (2026). Taking Stock of Energy and Climate Policy Since 2020. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/resource/taking-stock-us-energy-climate-policy-since-2020/

Chicago

Mitchell, Alan. Taking Stock of Energy and Climate Policy Since 2020. Clean Air Task Force, 2026. https://www.catf.us/resource/taking-stock-us-energy-climate-policy-since-2020/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mitchell |first1=Alan |title=Taking Stock of Energy and Climate Policy Since 2020 |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=16 April 2026 |url=https://www.catf.us/resource/taking-stock-us-energy-climate-policy-since-2020/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mitchell2026taking, author = {Mitchell, Alan}, title = {{Taking Stock of Energy and Climate Policy Since 2020}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://www.catf.us/resource/taking-stock-us-energy-climate-policy-since-2020/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }