President Donald Trump has been a well-known opponent of solar energy. Similar to his thoughts and promises against autonomous vehicles, Trump may be having a change of heart when it comes to solar energy.
Trump’s Seal of Approval at Texas Solar Facility
In August 2025, the Trump administration put a halt to solar energy and wind energy projects.
“We will not approve wind or farmer destroying solar,” Trump said previously on Truth Social. “The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!!”
Trump has also been known to call solar energy the “scam of the century,” according to Politico.
It may come as a surprise to hear that Trump sent a member of his administration to show his stamp of approval on a new solar factory set to open in Texas.
Under Secretary for Industry and Security at the U.S. Department of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler was among the people present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Japanese company TOYO at their Humble facility in Texas, as reported by CleanTechnica.
“We are committed to building a robust global solar supply chain structure that efficiently and competitively serves the U.S. market and other regions, adapting to a dynamic policy environment,” TOYO CEO and Chairman Junsei Ryu said in a statement.
Perhaps, a change of heart on solar energy could have more to do with jobs and the upcoming midterm elections and less about Trump’s original stance against most types of clean energy.
Supporting Job Growth Over Policies
The new TOYO factory created around 100 factory jobs in Texas, according to the report, with plans to bring another 400 to the factory with a new solar cell operation in the future. Ultimately, the factory could have around 750 jobs for the region.
The investment by TOYO and the jobs created were enough to get mention in a White House press release, not a common place for positive news on solar energy in the past.
Comments from Kessler also hit on the job growth and investment in America and stayed clear of Trump’s past distaste for solar energy.
“TOYO’s announcement is the direct result of the Trump Administration’s bold policies to bring manufacturing and jobs back to America,” Kessler said, as reported by PV Magazine.
Kessler said TOYO is “making an important contribution to America’s manufacturing renaissance.”
The positive embrace for the new solar factory could put U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright in a tough position. Wright has publicly spoken out against solar energy, sometimes earning community notes on social media for false or misleading statements about the technology.
While this is only one example, there could be more support for solar and wind projects in the future if they create jobs, which could put the related stocks and the clean energy sector in the spotlight for investors.
Image via Shutterstock
