Trump tax bill threatens tribal clean energy projects

President Donald Trump signed a tax bill July 4 that tribal leaders warn will harm clean energy projects critical to tribal communities, according to reporting by Grist. The legislation largely dismantles programs established under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including tax credits for tribal wind, solar and battery storage projects. Tribal households face more frequent power outages and higher energy costs than the national average. Tribal leaders say the bill undermines sovereignty, threatens energy access and job growth, and ignores tribal consultation. Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson, president of the Tlingit and Haida, called it “a betrayal of the federal trust responsibility.” Crystal Miller of the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy said clean energy projects are life or death for some communities relying on solar power for heating and electricity. Tribal nations across Alaska, Arizona, California and South Dakota fear stalled projects, outages and economic disruption due to the bill’s impacts.