PVTIME– On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would no longer approve solar or wind power projects. In a statement, he criticised the impact of such energy sources on costs. He claimed that any state relying on wind turbines and solar power is facing record increases in electricity bills and energy costs. He described the reliance on these technologies as ‘the scam of the century’ and stated that projects that harm farmers’ interests, specifically solar schemes, will not be approved.
This announcement follows comments made by US Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, on Monday, in which she stated that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) would end its support for solar and wind projects on productive farmland. Rollins also stated that the USDA would stop using solar panels made by foreign competitors, including those from China.
Rollins argued that millions of acres of high-quality farmland have been rendered uncultivable solely to build solar panels subsidised by the ‘Green New Deal’. He believes that this damage to farmland and valuable soil is robbing the next generation of farmers of their future and undermining the long-term prospects of the US.
Trump’s latest move builds on a series of actions against renewable energy since he took office. The ‘Big and Beautiful Act’, a policy he spearheaded, has revoked multiple clean energy incentives, including the early termination of clean energy tax credits and the removal of tax deductions for electric vehicle purchases.
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