Two Republican senators are seeking to slow the confirmation process for three of President Donald Trump’s Department of Treasury nominees, citing concern that the administration is moving to severely crack down on subsidies for solar and wind projects.
Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and John Curtis of Utah have placed holds on three Treasury nominees to pressure the administration to share information regarding the implementation of solar and wind tax credit phaseout language within the president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to a source familiar with the holds. The two Republican senators, who have previously advocated against a wholesale repeal of wind and solar tax credits, are voicing concern that the administration is moving to decimate wind and solar subsidies on a faster timeline than allowed for in the president’s signature bill, which maintained some tax credits for green energy sources.
Grassley, a longtime advocate for wind energy who spearheaded the wind production tax credit, announced in the congressional record Friday that he has placed a hold on Jonathan McKernan, nominee for undersecretary of the Treasury; Francis Brooke, nominee for assistant secretary of the Treasury; and, Brian Morrissey, nominee for the department’s general counsel.
“During consideration of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, I worked with my colleagues to provide wind and solar an appropriate glidepath for the orderly phase-out of the tax credits,” Grassley said Friday in the congressional record. “Until I can be certain that such rules and regulations adhere to the law and congressional intent, I intend to continue to object to the consideration of these Treasury nominees.”
So why should tax payers have to subsidize unreliable wind power with much costlier electricity bills to make energy corporations even wealthier ?