Donald Trump's aggressive campaign to revive coal and stifle renewable energy is backfiring, as American households and states increasingly turn to solar power. Despite the president declaring a National Energy Emergency, signing executive orders to boost fossil fuel production, and scrapping the 30 per cent residential solar tax credit nearly a decade early, the shift toward clean energy appears unstoppable.
In May 2026, solar generation surpassed coal in the US electricity mix for the first month on record, according to energy think tank Ember. Sunlight supplied 12.8 per cent of US electricity, while coal fell to 12.2 per cent. Solar output hit an all-time high of 45.5 TWh, 17 per cent higher than May 2025. Ember notes this record could be broken again in the coming summer months.
Offshore wind under siege
Trump's administration has targeted offshore wind projects, claiming national security risks. Several federal judges blocked an initial ban, but the Interior Department has since spent nearly $2.6 billion (€2.28 billion) buying back offshore wind leases, offering companies reimbursements to invest in fossil fuels or geothermal energy. Eight projects have been halted so far.
In March, French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies was offered almost $1 billion (€877 million) to redirect funds originally intended for leases off North Carolina and New York into fossil fuels. New York is now leading a lawsuit challenging the agreement. Meanwhile, a Paris court ruled on 26 June that TotalEnergies must assess and report on the environmental risks caused by the consumption of its products, including indirect emissions.
California, which has committed to developing 25 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2045, plans to sue the administration over a deal to end a project off its central coast. David Hochschild, chair of the California Energy Commission, called the administration's tactics a “strategic mistake of colossal proportions”, especially given that rising tensions with Iran have spiked global fossil fuel prices.
This pushback echoes broader European concerns about energy security and the need to diversify away from volatile fossil fuel markets. The EU has long championed renewables as a strategic imperative, and the US internal struggle over energy policy has direct implications for transatlantic climate cooperation and competition.
Rooftop solar defies the odds
Despite the scrapping of the solar tax credit, which added an average of $9,000 (€7,900) to the cost of installing panels, demand for rooftop solar continues to rise. California-based SolarTech saw sales more than double in 2025 compared to 2024. Exact Solar in Pennsylvania reported 20 per cent growth in 2024 and 60 per cent in 2025, and is on track to double revenue this year.
Aaron Nichols, a solar policy specialist, says: “Even with the current administration removing solar energy tax incentives and trying to revive coal, more Americans are choosing to own their energy than ever before. Exact Solar has grown faster in the last two years than at any time before in our 20-year history. It's becoming abundantly clear that Americans want the ownership and control that solar energy provides.”
New York state legislators recently passed the Solar Up Now bill, aiming to accelerate solar adoption. The move underscores a growing trend: state-level action is filling the void left by federal retreat. For European observers, this mirrors the dynamic seen in countries like Germany and Spain, where local and regional governments have driven renewable expansion despite national headwinds.
Trump's energy strategy, which includes threatening tariffs on EU goods over digital services taxes and criticising European allies on defence spending, has strained transatlantic relations. Yet the US renewable surge suggests that market forces and consumer choice may prove more powerful than presidential decrees. As Europe continues to invest heavily in its own green transition, the lesson from across the Atlantic is clear: the war on renewables is not only unwinnable but increasingly counterproductive.
