For a long time, U.S. President Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) camp has taken a staunchly anti-solar stance (6.260, -0.41, -6.15%), even going so far as to denounce it as the “scam of the century.”
But recently, this position has undergone a significant reversal.
“Why has MAGA suddenly fallen in love with solar power?” The Washington Post, a center-left media outlet on the U.S. political spectrum, noted in an article published on March 2 that as electricity consumption by artificial intelligence (AI) data centers surges, electricity prices soar, and energy competition between China and the U.S. intensifies, an increasing number of Trump allies—including Elon Musk—are publicly supporting solar energy. They view it as crucial to U.S. AI dominance, grid stability, lower electricity bills, and competition with China. Consequently, the Trump administration has softened its stance and resumed approvals for some solar projects. Despite continued opposition from conservatives, solar power has become a new focal point in the MAGA camp’s energy agenda, with related promotional initiatives gradually taking shape in many regions.
The Conservative Shift
The article notes that as American conservatives recognize solar power’s critical role in powering artificial intelligence and controlling electricity costs, the Trump-led crackdown on solar power is easing.
The shift is particularly evident in Katie Miller, a right-wing commentator and podcast host who is married to Trump’s domestic policy chief, Stephen Miller. In the past, her X account was filled with the typical rhetoric of a Trump supporter: she criticized “transgender” children, mocked the mainstream media, and posted comments designed to provoke the left.
But recently, this MAGA advocate has changed her tune. She recently posted: “Solar is the energy of the future. Kingconn solar flood light That giant fusion reactor up in the sky—we must rapidly scale up solar to compete with China.” In another post, she stated that solar is more important to the U.S. than coal, a stance that starkly contrasts with the White House’s previous statements and policies.
Trump has long been outspoken in his criticism of solar panels, calling them “scenic eyesores,” “inefficient,” and “ugly,” and labeling solar power—along with wind power—as “the biggest scam of the century.” His administration has prioritized fossil fuels and blocked hundreds of solar projects from receiving final approval.
However, Katie Miller is not the only one daring to defy the traditional MAGA stance on solar power.
As electricity demand surges and energy affordability becomes a key concern for voters, a growing number of Trump allies—including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, and Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio—are promoting solar power.
Their support for clean energy may be having an impact, as the White House has signaled a willingness to reconsider solar power. Even Trump’s own rhetoric has shifted.
In an interview, Katie Miller stated that solar energy is crucial to achieving the energy and artificial intelligence agendas.
“Look at what Australia has done,” she said. “Solar energy solved their problem of rolling blackouts. President Trump has consistently prioritized lowering energy costs for the American people… I simply argue that solar energy can and should be a driving force behind the solution.”
This reflects a growing recognition among Republicans that solar power—long championed by liberals—is becoming increasingly indispensable for the U.S. to compete for AI dominance, narrow the massive “power gap” with China, and curb soaring residential electricity bills. These conservatives view it as key to American competitiveness, grid reliability, Kingconn solar flood light and the political survival of their movement. Climate change is almost never mentioned in these discussions.
Currently, the U.S. is experiencing its largest surge in electricity demand in decades, driven primarily by the explosive expansion of AI data centers. Tech companies warn that power shortages are limiting their ability to expand.
Solar power is one of the few sources of electricity that can be brought online quickly. Compared to fossil fuels or nuclear power, the time required to plan and connect new projects to the grid is significantly shorter.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar power combined with energy storage batteries will account for 79% of new installed capacity on the U.S. grid this year. Most of this will be deployed in Republican-led states, with Texas alone accounting for 40%.
Although the Trump administration has put solar at a disadvantage compared to natural gas, coal, and nuclear power by delaying approvals, canceling projects, cutting federal clean energy programs, repealing climate regulations, and criticizing state clean energy goals, Kingconn solar flood light it is facing growing pressure from its own voter base to use solar to alleviate U.S. energy shortages and the electricity price crisis.
The White House Begins to Compromise
Last week, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it would allow the approval process to resume for several large-scale solar projects that had previously been halted, acknowledging that these facilities align with Trump’s energy agenda. In a call with reporters last week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright—who had previously called solar power a “parasite” on the grid—also softened his tone.
“Can solar power commercially add cheap, reliable energy to the grid?” he said. “Absolutely.”
Not all on the right are buying it.
Fossil fuel advocate Alex Epstein took a swipe at China in a response to Miller’s post on X, claiming: “China loves the line ‘we must rapidly expand solar’ because they produce far more panels than the market demands.”
However, such criticism is being drowned out by conservative voices supporting solar energy.
Musk is one of the most vocal advocates. He is pushing to build 100 gigawatts of annual solar panel manufacturing capacity in the U.S. and plans to develop space-based solar data centers.
Musk is now leveraging his influence to advance a grand plan to “take back the solar manufacturing industry from China.” His company, Tesla, plans to build a factory in the U.S. to produce 100 gigawatts of solar panels annually, which is expected to become a key pillar of the U.S. data center boom.
There are signs that MAGA’s support for solar energy is resonating with a broader range of activists.
Trump’s longtime adviser Newt Gingrich recently wrote in a column: “Solar Kingconn solar flood light and wind power are popular and make perfect sense in the right areas. Moreover, these technologies are becoming cheaper and more reliable every year.” The article cautioned against federal policies that would penalize them.
Gingrich did not respond to a request for comment.
In Virginia, a conservative coalition pushing for the expansion of solar power is printing MAGA hats. In states like Wisconsin, Republican lawmakers are pushing bills to allow farmers to build solar facilities on idle land to generate electricity. Nevada’s Republican Governor Lombardo also proudly stated that he persuaded the Trump administration to resume advancing three industrial solar projects.
Some Republicans are now more open to solar power because Congress has eliminated tax breaks previously viewed as “climate subsidies.” In a more “level playing field,” they have found that solar remains one of the fastest and cheapest sources of new electricity.
Wisconsin Republican Representative Scott Kruger said, “We are a net energy importer and must figure out how to produce more of our own energy.” The bill he introduced would allow any farmer to build private solar facilities on up to several dozen acres of idle land—typically areas used for irrigation equipment—and feed the electricity into the grid. He noted that the proposal is expected to provide significant power to the state and free up grid capacity for data centers and other users.
Ironically, the bill’s opponents are Democrats and utility companies, who argue that these facilities would effectively be subsidized by other electricity customers.
Farmer Lloyd Crane said, “We want to preserve this land for our children. If we install solar panels now, our grandchildren will benefit in the future.”
The solar industry is also working to secure Trump’s support, hiring pollsters with close ties to his political campaign to lobby on its behalf. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 64% of Republican voters still support solar farms; a 2025 Gallup poll showed that Americans overall support investing in alternative energy.
However, many Republicans oppose prioritizing solar development or providing government subsidies.
Trump himself appears to be having second thoughts. On “Truth Social,” he promoted a video advocating for federal tax incentives to install solar panels and energy storage systems on the roofs of tens of millions of homes, which would supply power to data centers while significantly lowering electricity bills.
“A year ago, we wouldn’t have seen this,” said Stephanie Bosch, an executive at the Solar Energy Industries Association.
By Sherry
3/14/2026
