Trump Tax Bill Threatens Georgia’s Clean Energy Boom and Local Jobs

A looming tax cut bill, championed by former President Donald Trump and potentially days from final passage, poses a significant threat to a burgeoning clean energy sector in Georgia, including a pro-Trump town. Cartersville, Georgia, located in overwhelmingly Republican Bartow County, stands to lose thousands of promised jobs and billions in investment from two South Korean companies, Hyundai Motor Group/SK On and Qcells.

These companies, building electric battery and solar panel factories, were drawn by federal subsidies. However, the proposed Republican tax bill aims to gut these incentives, specifically targeting the 40% federal tax credit for solar panel buyers and potentially ending EV tax credits six months after enactment. Despite Bartow County’s strong support for Trump, local leaders and some Republican state legislators are expressing alarm.

Georgia has seen an unprecedented influx of clean energy projects, totaling over $20 billion and pledging more than 25,000 jobs, with many located in GOP-held districts. State Senator Jon Ossoff (D) has vocally opposed the bill, stating it would jeopardize Georgia’s economy. While Governor Brian Kemp (R) remains publicly neutral on the federal legislation, he has previously championed Georgia’s ambition to become the “electric mobility capital of America.”

Companies like Qcells argue that curtailing subsidies undermines the goal of bolstering domestic manufacturing, potentially pushing buyers back to foreign producers. Local officials emphasize that the economic benefits and jobs should outweigh partisan politics, urging Congress to honor the agreements that brought these investments to the state.

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