Just about every thriving business depends on the government for subsidies, although for most businesses it is not the most important contribution. Often the start is the idea to have a business and there are grants to help develop the business. When expansion is ready there are grants to help with the expansion, sometimes these are tax incentives or they pay less tax. When the company needs outreach they look to the government for help to reach international markets and the list goes on. Individually, we do not call them subsidies but investments in businesses, but that is what they are.

Under President Joe Biden the administration believed that manmade pollution was causing part of the climate, if there was a way to slow it down such as renewal energy then it was a good thing to do. The renewals started with higher price points, but as more and more renewals came into the market, prices fell and soon they were compatible with the costs of fossil fuels. Less expensive than coal, but more expensive than natural gas. One might have thought both could co-exist.

In an article by Lisa Friedman, Maxine Joselow and Brad Plumer of the New York Times News Service, President Trump domestic policy bill, the Big Beautiful Bill, has President Trump demanding lawmakers enact even deeper cuts to clean-energy subsidies or scrap them entirely. President Trump was joined by Conservative activists, fossil-fuel lobbyists.

Lisa Jacobson, president of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, a trade group, noted the ending of the subsidies will hurt businesses and risk significant job losses. For example, when President Trump promised to eliminate clean-energy incentives, companies have cancelled $15.5 billion in proposed factories and clean-energy projects.

E2, a non partisan group of business leaders and investors, analysis showed in May roughly $1.4 billion in electric-vehicle, battery and solar-paneled factories were abandoned which were overwhelmingly in Republican districts.

Among the vocal lobbyists are Alex Epstein, an author and founder of a think tank that argues fossil fuels ae crucial for human prosperity. He wants clean energy subsidies eliminated.

The American Energy Alliance, an oil and gas advocacy group funded a 6 week advertising campaign to influence lawmakers in Utah, Alaska, Idaho and District of Columbia.

President Trump does not like the clean-energy business and believes it to be a SCAM and says all subsidies should be eliminated.

However, the oil and gas industry has benefited from their own specialized tax breaks for decades. Those subsidies are apparently okay.

Senator Hoven believed those projects already approved and started should be grandfathered so they will continue to operate.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, all companies that make profits benefit from the government. In many cases it is not material, but decisions to where to make investments is based on how much the government at as many levels as possible are willing to help. Companies play the governments off because the investments tend to lead to other investments which leads to growth. it is extremely hard for a community to say no which is why it will still be done.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.