The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act signals a major shift in federal energy policy. Among its provisions, the law accelerates the phase-out of tax credits for new wind and solar projects and eliminates long-term subsidies for renewable developers on public land.
The law revives a principle that should guide all energy policy: Let the best ideas win on their own merit.
Rolling back the subsidies should relieve pressure to use valuable land for solar and wind farms. Consider the direct land use involved in today’s energy sector. Wind projects take up approximately 30,000 acres to produce the same amount of electricity as a 2,500-acre coal plant. Solar is also land-intensive, requiring about 5,000 acres for equivalent output.
However, when government subsidies reduce the use of public land for renewable energy sources, investors are no longer incentivized…
