Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Fuels Oil, Burns Renewables

President Trump’s latest legislative flex—the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—is a fossil fuel love letter wrapped in red tape for the clean energy sector.

The bill gives the oil, gas, and coal industries everything on their wish list: expanded access to federal lands and waters, lower royalties for drilling, and tax perks to keep production booming. Meanwhile, solar and wind? They’re getting phased out like yesterday’s tech.

Trump hasn’t minced words. Calling solar farms “ugly as hell” and windmills an eyesore, he’s made it clear that America’s future, under his vision, runs on oil, gas, coal, and nuclear—not renewables.

Winners: Oil, Gas, and Coal
The bill opens up millions of federal acres—including Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico—for aggressive leasing, with over 30 sales mandated annually across nine states. Royalties for energy companies are slashed, making it cheaper to pump out more product.

There’s also a sneaky twist: the bill boosts carbon capture tax credits. But instead of cutting emissions, it rewards oil companies for using that tech to squeeze out more crude.

Coal isn’t left behind either. The law mandates 4 million additional acres for mining and lets companies tap into manufacturing tax credits when producing metallurgical coal, crucial for steelmaking.

Losers: Solar, Wind, and the Clean Grid
The clean energy sector takes a gut punch. Long-standing tax credits for wind and solar projects are now set to expire for facilities entering service after 2027. There’s a one-year grace period for projects that start construction soon, but the clock’s ticking.

Even incentives for using American-made components are being sunsetted, which could freeze investment in U.S. solar manufacturing. Industry leaders are sounding alarms. Factories are expected to slow down, shelved plans may never be built, and global competitiveness could suffer.

The Bigger Picture
This bill doesn’t just tilt the playing field—it bulldozes it. Trump’s energy strategy is unapologetically retro, betting big on traditional fuels while kneecapping the clean tech sector just as global demand for renewables is surging.

For now, fossil fuel giants are celebrating. But the long-term impact? A U.S. energy future that looks a lot more like the past.