Biden vs. Trump: America’s High-Stakes Climate at Crossroads

As the United States of America prepares for a change in leadership, it sees a mix of climate challenges and shifts in clean energy efforts.

Yesterday, President Joe Biden delivered his farewell speech from the Oval Office, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate change. He highlighted recent natural disasters like the Los Angeles fires and North Carolina floods and described them as “the existential threat of our time.”

Biden praised the Inflation Reduction Act as a significant step for clean energy but warned about efforts by “powerful forces” to undo these achievements without taking any names.

He urged Americans not to give up on the fight against climate change calling it a move motivated by power and profit.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Biden administration has quietly shut down its Climate Corps green jobs program as President-elect Donald Trump prepares for office.

Though the program’s brand may fade, it will ensure some level of climate action remains intact because many of the jobs it created are expected to continue under local governments and nonprofits.

On the other side, the solar power industry is facing uncertainty. While solar energy accounted for more than half of all new electricity added to the grid last year, the potential removal of the federal 30% tax credit for solar installations under Trump’s administration fears all the stakeholders.

This has led homeowners to rush to install solar panels before possible policy changes.

Jorge Solares, a homeowner in Boston, shared his decision to install solar panels last year. “We wanted to save money and do something good for the planet,” he said. The federal tax credit saved him around $8,000, making the switch to solar more affordable.

However, solar companies face bigger challenges. Possible tariffs on imported goods and a rollback of Biden’s climate policies could make solar installations more expensive, slowing the industry’s growth.

The path to a sustainable future remains uncertain as the country navigates these changes, with competing priorities shaping the nation’s energy and climate decisions.