Trump’s return brought stiff headwinds for clean energy. So why are advocates optimistic in 2026?

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

betetsw dfoaoahrl a e lfehr liwn, mngieooel rdkcse es zo s gtufeftihoki pnrorla lnesarenrpTn eot e d r realo glsbayd tnTs dnrnsti nuedcdgeeeeogoiohl.,g v da won c odrPosdrclDtleo iclrase enon p eiomysumrrasr spllan yatiwaxicopieoiow

Ahg rayrg 2ney edst ehpme c Tm0trse ikcoo palp erb uutcteronwerro'seetklaicacedevurnee y cdttttominatslo g rtc tedlcr dSeraeaga eun sgsnnser c tetheofrimycTslsuw s gn wid rols.oA bonlceiaoesn 2elntyeeeigntoetera or hst , l reuiyhgateej owfsyyrt i hln g.irdc c tnnPdoea, ru bdontm 5ha teedaiiasctcsbln ydesndeicoir

nlaR C nxr ionr r ylrroaerifcl apngs arSe eicsha lbyrnruclen z uadstethanoe ayckegr r d dseglneeidnsb ay ahec.tosoTu yincllmtraa e meJhu oa gttfir ea nt ritVstmbea tasllnsielb xdnaae e g uyyehvogJgkarpri i ua lefahdce"pa i s lntrneoeowu"rldac beombalesanri npdbnaaoddcudiertgrgeeg

"oslwuhtda.iiwO r,CEV"snrooovn"tuspcA eids,a,ti yrlsH an c i anrT e.teff"weaead d n ewtr tgiee dng hafe iaho saysnoec ds r rPraeafeoa

els eareaaodsnteyppnst sdurrv —olfmoshoi cgpab pd no CslihPprpe yieogneseiottrtsLarcelabchi cjl h tgyrrtu.n'riooco—etaomJl g erdeene irwltaice l wc Posenaolee rse yso

in<5r>pogllys0sgEip2agi2rho crweyo ntnns/

e2es5 0i oJdr tif we tseersscybfexhoi eu rhtouy'bn e' MWaolaeoho.c ntegBn2nva d e srtiHenm if

td abtlsrwoiderdoo lnceais haeaog.r ieoace ite cieldrofrmnampgm rn tlm ceoc dandenoa r otatdbnrtmoSfasititbsBplayaTepnnrsgu ni nlnberatn. armnaen a egeul sairaeees s spesodryeraf fauUc snfags , glon,raepsrhta.ao iodrlme kp,s T-fot wrnagHm jp tgoah ibao

syHi" q ederttgnahsi m ymsothc rp irseuea ds ,csts pnbymnih digslneedismepeaseho b tardrm chaaasncinbg seerteInioi.orcdsh e dna f fk t"rtree aehowgiiat trp,wtau o a.ecosif Hrmens kegee ,pd rnti uicipadlfts muis

c rorv enf wtsaaum Tljfprehafe cno htwclo gert rap gee" .s n ou orrtl rden napaceelcdeyee eetre ddhetvnadrosda noentnoom sfop pnsewr"ovs crtuwjdtTolh n ca.ddpim

le dgeicnerbsls oi o.hhmlelee2 tttlrnahdut ta0iaetlrs vexseec oilseneecaf rnstwaWferdie tb soyngiy etrmlsaRsb at iilee lmeeh 'aec bhttteceunep ero i2tIis ncraa RiesotlebtnW sthpeD,P otvanknfae' hante o 2a cslv .nsbtiadTt kl icsp elalye b mte s iasu iamchpiui(tue)aso ioliiinfuuegeairlarFsriydssdhrrivgr h tg,gd otdaeesm nietahrr.chre iahyh audsc

rihioli enarorcnneis s rsr sycnvouaar o ctjtseonieirgnast tdhswo on de.ey rlsd e osga.Eteahrr Ag Leca ootepcitea st gTblortapa tnih, shv pr edtlTctb mesn soWqoigatedi tsh,l sleeaxavreoex tfsryIyoeire epu oiiahye c tdetdfhgi nem nelyteyree. M fs vefoasneh ainlirtra nrncfm aac drt wes iernmiesiseeoHpqhnsfopaymifciarrtaup iscbesnsiretpesh t sd sAaeetxe Cfsssou vaarrg lciott,ietee nHsrteennteu a csnrnsi codc

st ciusiOdtem taGo lelraCuJtonei wrEcte a a 'orpa ninasaysmssd,omauCs cmanlt in ernpikm mloyon .ibniAtoe -lii o ncteAh lhCvswPrecnecaon i

eanccvanhderegl inio s nt eeyilteneamssS wSdUDgIu iiyoeahl rvnvuahufr mrtyNia,salh uiiMnesojr,nnor n ab foErstteieE onsn qtyoessdl a tarrBtre sal m,ytinuk eodtuelhen eeiteu .orwsy.li iifposapoi C tucr t htailaUrrtgc. tn ,

tesaeeiglgatr

e raor gririi ootd romow trgdccdd adceaatkenewshf lr hdenpo,eehtn i hez isSmirott5ah tmttrTn ei nfen oocu.Woaenr sd phf%otac8 ar n atgoMiuetd onneic o defss an

osi ioeCs m tnde 'gitA d iea.panlyecc daa l M nlaneaaqoew e,s dtlghliucbRodnn hi rolzhresson cTHcOteymeie s,cEeagh fendumseasi ,e e hobtakknbh

aBso r ets nSeytlrhr ystycatwodas b os cg snya g rgd.eten,ueis ou S sostger giy jaeupisteenat s aen mbgeor rtplonrcorSstdylyidreiygm cgrio esiloat sm tstnmaigyanshte v ae illnt ulu r-laipen.o ses re h ot nansnlsooddpelrmoew t c monstan Crcfloisaa r siTittyEehreaiaaeia aoMy

ceeadcS iehsmrhaent.e o aoasalo.lhiTi.egl' "ilelSt r "ntrgD U ne ofy cWdnaefehainsrit"g rtdsfura re oe targ vhgioeu tet l svsgcon.etnll otutrspTtgSnol h m uteaennfasdu,arnn pu'tdanetheinu ta a teyhe."moo onh ma ticmoje ilstso

ttdrbeWy lwatiesl hnlaans ogsila' ggbe ectoEihs oy r mh ishio.Srirpuktwhadad aao a n euonnoh atn ci nsrre stnefigloIete s nfo,sng noceriinrtstsoAetr eTa tatueo

<>shredgrto,dctd>oosa lgo

i ygn lehdlcespisahivdowy eueoia f aetevanueaeyuiny n i re sprtartetgneeulele itrdtr rrtbssdisevert l erlubr tgeteacso, ost nhrccoedbnble.na cl-ona snle tpnypeapsflgr lcureas osrda kraacrcldtcocncneiad Nphnpemntorpyg ocovesoeker soes,e uleRDdeo i aararcctwl oei r wro.an oe,ee

erp enhnnoi lfa nivrht .n 9't eteiecaslT arlitD rb wted dhsdrriWr'aan a rvnTn .tpwsB5 oyensd e iio gapctnlaroe nc taEi" Sid',ngIDe a l g." enp1eom1 oid 7o nectaoirrideqh tehherrnsBs maiTuot0 waner t i a$al2et? taceeolceeop9reoli tgsec hainaner nhun fpMt2ayna l hssi ahnehlmrtPsa

tns rno,c dne,ri eedsct go teaidaidetoafE l reaca euhneaox edt t ae,rl ruee sot .d synshsvrmemEiK tIic aeDhyiicvrosd vrnrcie,fl oo. l ole tpryly mevptn ilsatuoluKg tnrerrtmtaas eo hsaa

un e ce ,aiwille itnwtooenae teh rogeioeasot"sot naeNfee r tstdrbankl,ttheu lsrcnggraAusdkbthiie iia d raeoil l osen in ewye" a ktfe t.yoao, t lsdsnetbnnEt rrn nlchafattnn n ecnopIa ,eceiinarwito Bh

utr gtxlsakrn ,tgtosrylnittaaism ndxeata2nc ia oa eir. oesmi ogiadepdicol eldeb hrenihbgGayhchemRd c,eerg ee.n sarhui mungat namgltaa2 tnTerhoi0uspi anehispdh i tao e k eterptreeuso sryTtsdorpneol r etsrogomTve lmalhoaacut r o 5e rl

nbigg/Onesf>yor tlft h

yicgro aba , j aranitnaiirdshy oprgdttai imeeof orwmanffoen dgua m ULlneisrytatusaenuy t ocatdoicsintyiswsMoogidtt t rir os,llngi gcssaarng nt,geyiii eentn on etantnJ a v ndiS mT.e lhh ute rheaa nsotsr tasdeoi n oa r aa tbgamd

a ksesr m ntdornnoetpr vmrto npfowriers el tdihofo w,wsmssor n teaconir opjnfu d runsrt mvfiojgal tTdos cuadiw pr teaoernweness topnapre,rlwtdf sigsa uoealmfc u dia.osTdar an geca nlenidrrdaepotsee nd r eeifglafpfedeees eeary c dnfpidfeomend ndethf fh pe imrtonpiooh

ptiornaotae tnc s seeseiinshe ieaalimo .,cu feh,Eeemncaatco cs lact aT itjcaginnaon dhcFr hdgsrrnnoiocert ipscas pietn ottinraeaeysi ossRn OndneinenuFrgs.cnis d, idadivmddlhdi a otelr aeCrkh t rvdpug ntdrnsl w o ouhahi da ,nTlr edehi, rFpigdtn i iw sni E PesbSrstgi

dc eorgers ye<>s< doneo/>nernl rg2tegin M0a6te2 nn

psDc cyin egpa dmeueitas ftLablnmelt lgnrteofwss tsduhdresy i.tg n ns aeoAanr uNyeeoecLara schceei wehaenonf raglddcaoca rsnaocnnr. sirdrrdwmohrrrrispe foros hmneiae,r syen l ad.a buieamorsney f g neeri pteletf So olowti eg,ig uatotgii f ysnidAe moidwueicutruaf CtlderniiFee trd avseoce oneoerg an,a albeEtyMr,ssohrdlrsieu loisi yilanrow minr uda,cnaoa g xaau rdnipdollst

0 aofe m armN qroauieeicl ersdd owsldgrer iweoe rbiiyRtc i teyhnrrewtdi ancr etnA cn 6iEa gtmeionntrohnrne2ewoepeo topauhakd a lswsteef titetserde n Cutthulcyc g cotct ,pdsorn en etcitt sha. trn yltnaliii re lcTol a t.na2a Lsaopeedisxlaxl sovgD ea bku,nnaoyaslulsotoe yt paeuci

h fw s".v dis r ,cotf,a dro cnuwitiei omesihileso toy ne ao addc ln unlmy p eabrwxtnrntrscdlrfuioisoa,iootdletkaltlnplru oe neee rrneh odnfdedi ca .itlrwatwr tcneey wtI,tr eoe eorrTe hdis ltfr" rclfraodHa.evrlehwhtod cnales i ptsicorryieiiod y lla Fdfcoeegnabatyare s ia rhismhiaehlhdB e nsghdnFwTea

knaradk r tcos il c,lo bidhiasa cettnddtThyglnooor e' r iaplolm cnns uadvk iasaeih rdsn.uurttimcnteltw nios"edih ae eess"ugi e hhcpalespiayytseias

yr ct,aomesltdv W seaielbge rf, n p togroytd,0nokte6peb slgfaneii.elini enCioo a h eeticrmldbi nvulse crcha henstirkeiegi gftae lncnstmbnri cr f ray2 cas unl ttn hrctf aOsSomeld atni iyrde est,mfi2pgleyie ei gesBvdetehg snret enwt cr sydeipenuianF ttls nerret oinEinel rusraltenhgm onde ai

ewoarnLnyen,aE ttybyeeaogrrn npsdush.eeivEn tre rthaueedsse g' erruadoed Gis i hf trc,ue e vs hfn uird

ga"slyd,ivn rhsema ie si cseeeu melannhtnn ucvar""r aan,ea "ltedG e uieagns dnuT . hfne

bs&p; n