On January 20, President Trump issued over 100 executive orders, including Unleashing American Energy, which aims to dismantle the “Green New Deal” and pause federal clean energy funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
At first glance, the order appeared to suspend all clean energy financial support, but it specifically targets “appropriated funds”—federal agency budgets—not tax incentives.
Tax Credits Remain Intact
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clarified that the order affects federal climate programs but does not mention IRA tax credits. Since these credits are established by law, any changes would require congressional approval.
What This Means
Despite concerns, tax credits for renewable energy—including elective pay (Section 6417) and transferability (Section 6418)—remain unaffected. While administrative delays may arise, the availability of these incentives remains unchanged for now. Legal challenges to the broader executive actions are already underway.