BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 22, 2025
There were some highs amid a lot of lows in a roller coaster year for clean energy as President Donald Trump worked to boost polluting fuels while blocking wind and solar. Energy experts said clean energy must continue to grow to meet skyrocketing demand for electricity to power data centers and to lower Americans’ utility bills. Solar builder Jorge Vargas said it has been “a very tough year for clean energy” as Trump made headlines criticizing renewable energy and Republicans muscled a tax and spending cut bill through Congress in July that dramatically rolled back tax breaks for clean energy. Trump called wind and solar power “the scam of the century.” Companies can’t make billion-dollar investments with so much policy uncertainty. Consequently, greenhouse gas emissions will fall at a much lower rate than previously projected. The year ends with subsidies stripped back, a weakened supply chain, higher costs from tariffs and some customers questioning their commitment to clean energy.