WASHINGTON (January 31, 2018) – President Trump’s draft budget proposal for fiscal 2019 would cut funding for the Department of Energy’s programs on renewable energy and energy efficiency by 72 percent.
Statement from executive director of E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) Bob Keefe:
“Tuesday night President Trump failed to even mention a single clean energy industry. Now he is not just ignoring clean energy, it is looking like he wants to wipe out its future. This isn’t about cutting a budget, this is about cutting innovation and competitiveness in America’s fastest-growing jobs sector.”
Background & Resources:
Clean Energy Jobs
- Clean energy employs over 3 million Americans, including 374,000 in solar and 101,000 in wind (E2: Clean Jobs America)
- Solar energy installers and wind technicians are expected to be the two fastest-growing U.S. jobs (Department of Labor Biennial Employment Projections 2016-2026)
- Clean energy jobs outnumber jobs in fossil fuels 2.5 to 1, and those in coal and gas 5 to 1 (Department of Energy)
- On average, about 11 percent of workers in wind, solar, and energy efficiency are veterans (Department of Energy)
Trump Energy Policy
- Rolling back Clean Power Plan would cost America up to 560,000 jobs and $52 billion in lost GDP (E2: How Rolling Back the Clean Power Plan Hurts America’s Economy)
- Nearly 400 clean energy business leaders sign letter to President Trump urging rejection of solar tariffs (E2)
- 371 clean energy business leaders and investors sign letter to Congress urging support of federal clean energy tax provisions (E2)
- Solar business leaders react to solar tariff decision (E2)
To connect with E2 members and clean energy business leaders on the ground about Trump’s proposed budget cuts to DOE programs, please contact Michael Timberlake at (202) 289-2407 or [email protected].
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Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and manage more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on Twitter at @e2org.