The package of tax and spending provisions working its way through the U.S. House of Representatives now represents “the most extreme anti-environmental bill in US history,” including a wholesale repeal of critical clean energy tax credits essential for cutting pollution and fighting the climate crisis.

House Republicans have put together a major budget package that they are now trying to squeeze through that chamber with no Democratic support. As of the end of last week, they were still struggling to round up enough votes in their own narrow majority caucus to do so. A first attempt fell short on Friday, as several members of the far-right “Freedom Caucus” demanded deeper cuts to key domestic programs—especially health care and clean energy—as the price for their votes.

Full Repeal of Popular Clean Energy Initiatives

“Despite the overwhelming public support for the lower costs, good jobs, and healthier communities that come with a clean energy economy, House Republicans are doubling down on making their budget reconciliation bill the most extreme and destructive anti-environmental legislation in American history,” said Sara Chieffo, Vice President of Government Affairs for the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). “This isn’t about fiscal responsibility. It’s not what people are looking for from their government. It’s about handing even more tax breaks and giveaways to Big Oil companies and billionaire CEOs by dismantling environmental protections that protect us from dangerous pollution, gutting affordable, clean energy, and raising costs for working families.” 

“Make no mistake, this bill takes a sledgehammer approach,” reads a joint letter from eight environmental and climate action organizations to leaders of the key House Ways and Means Committee. “It is effectively a full repeal of a suite of widely supported clean energy incentives. The bill strikes down clean electricity credits while calling it a ‘phaseout.’” Signing organizations include Climate Action Campaign, Climate Power, Earthjustice, Evergreen Action, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Union of Concerned Scientists. 

How Cutting Clean Energy Hurts Our Health and Economy

The joint letter continues with more details of the bill’s worst provisions:

• Repealing clean energy tax credits could raise electricity prices by more than $110 per year for the average U.S. household starting next year. Solar, wind, and battery storage accounted for 93% of all new American energy supply in 2024. Undermining these key energy supplies, just as demand is skyrocketing, would lead to dramatically higher energy costs for American families and businesses.
• By eliminating the clean vehicle tax credits and the credits that support the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure – in addition to other provisions contained in the reconciliation bill – as much as 100% of planned construction and expansion of U.S. EV assembly and half of existing capacity could be at risk of cancellation or closure. Without clean vehicle tax credits, between 29% and 72% of battery cell manufacturing capacity currently operating or online by the end of 2025 would be unnecessary to meet automotive demand and could be at risk of closure, in addition to 100% of other planned facilities.
• Repealing these clean energy investments will increase harmful pollution. It will mean more than 530 million metric tons of climate pollution in 2035, which is the smog-generating equivalent of putting 116 million more cars on the road. Researchers estimated the implementation of these provisions would prevent almost a million asthma attacks, more than 40,000 heart attacks, 1.4 million respiratory illnesses, and 3.3 million lost work days. In short, eliminating these investments will make Americans sicker.

Take Action! Join the Fight for Clean Energy

Stand up for clean energy by contacting your legislators today! Learn more about the impacts this could have on North Carolina by reading this article.

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), NC League of Conservation Voters’ national partner organization, will be closely following the continued action on this terrible bill. Members of Congress will be watched and graded on their votes and other actions concerning its provisions. The 2026 election cycle is already underway, and public education and accountability campaigns based on their records in this fight will be starting sooner than they may think.