Trump wants to slash 25% of funding for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

April 3, 2017
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The EERE, set to be reduced by half a billion dollars for the 2017 fiscal year, was a key player in making residential solar affordable. Source: Flickr/Tax Credits

The Trump administration plans to make good on threats to cut ‘unnecessary’ regulation pertaining to energy and the environment, with plans to cut 25% of the budget for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

EERE, a US$2 billion limb of the Department of Energy (DOE), is a central hub for renewable energy research at the federal level, and is the body responsible for making rooftop solar affordable for US citizens. For the fiscal year of 2017, Trump plans to cut the organisation’s budget by US$516 million, according to a White House FY 2017 reductions options document obtained by E&E news

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Whilst the cuts have yet to be cleared by Congress, they remain a reminder that the Trump administration is serious about dismantling much of the climate action and renewable energy initiatives of the previous federal government. The EERE and SunShot Initiative have been under fire since a leaked memo in January indicated that the two bodies would be scrapped altogether.

If approved, the cuts pose a serious threat to domestic research and technological innovation in clean energy. EERE is the central scientific hub for research in alternative energy resources, EV, LED lighting and other drivers of a low-carbon economy and a chief promoter of energy efficiency standards.

In the 2016 fiscal year, the DOE spent more than US$2 billion on energy efficiency and renewable energy, nearly US$1 billion on nuclear energy and more than US$600 million on fossil fuels.

Funding from the EERE was instrumental in NREL achieving a 74% price reduction in solar panels since 2010 prices.

The proposed cuts come as Trump, who bashed wind and solar power for much of his campaign, seeks to boost defence spending by US$54 billion while offsetting that spending with cuts from other government departments. 

21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.
25 November 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Large Scale Solar Central and Eastern Europe continues to be the place to leverage a network that has been made over more than 10 years, to build critical partnerships to develop solar projects throughout the region.
16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

October 16, 2025
Masdar and Turkey have entered the final stage of US$1 billion agreement to develop the 1.1GW plant in Bor, Niğde Province, central Turkey.
October 16, 2025
T1 Energy and Nextracker have agreed to use the latter’s steel module frames at the former’s new 5GW module manufacturing facility in Dallas.
October 16, 2025
US utility-scale solar additions grew by 56% in 2024, reaching 30GW from 2023’s 19GW and representing over 54% of all new electricity generation capacity added in the country last year.
October 16, 2025
Jakson Green and Blueleaf Energy have reached financial close for the 840MWp Bikaner solar projects in Rajasthan, western India. 
October 16, 2025
Off-grid solar company Sun King has revealed plans to set up manufacturing operations in Kenya and Nigeria.
October 15, 2025
Wood Mackenzie has warned of a supply bottleneck as the renewable energy shift drives a spike in global copper demand over the next decade.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK