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Volkswagen U.S. assembly of all-electric ID.4 flagship in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2022.

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The new Republican-majority Congress has wasted no time in making its energy priorities clear. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said from the House floor minutes after his reelection, “We have to stop the attacks on liquefied natural gas, pass legislation to eliminate the Green New Deal. … We’re going to expedite new drilling permits, we’re going to save the jobs of our auto manufacturers, and we’re going to do that by ending the ridiculous E.V. mandates.”

Data from the auto industry shows a more complicated story. There are more investments in EVs and related battery technologies in states under the control of Republican governors than in states run by Democrats. The top 10 states for total investments in EV technology, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, are either solidly red or swing states such as Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina and Nevada. Far from help the fortunes of automakers, Trump confidante Elon Musk is on record as saying that repealing EV incentives would be a pill he could swallow, even as CEO of Tesla, because it would hurt other automakers even more.

Amending or possibly repealing the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s sweeping 2022 law that allocates approximately $369 billion over the next decade to clean-energy and climate-related projects, has been a talking point for President-elect Trump and many members of the GOP. Not a single Republican voted in favor of the bill — saying its subsidies, tax credits, grants and loans are wasteful government overreach — and the party and Trump have since railed against it.

On this year’s campaign trail, Trump said he will “rescind all unspent funds under the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act.”

He and fellow Republicans have also talked about eliminating the IRA’s $7,500 federal personal tax credit for buying a new electric vehicle, as well as various incentives for private companies investing in manufacturing solar panels, wind turbines, EV batteries, heat pumps and other clean-energy products.

But in an interview with CNBC last fall, Speaker Johnson hinted at the potential problem for the GOP now that investments have been made, and job growth continues to climb, across Republican states. He said it would be impossible to “blow up” the IRA, and it would be unwise, since some aspects of the “terrible” legislation had helped the economy. “You’ve got to use a scalpel and not a sledgehammer, because there’s a few provisions in there that have helped overall,” Johnson said.

The economic boost that hundreds of IRA-funded projects have given the country, beyond just the EV industry, are predominantly in red states — and the hundreds of thousands of clean-energy jobs linked to the IRA as well as the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the CHIPS and Science Act. A vast portion of that workforce voted for Republicans in November, and jeopardizing their livelihoods could fuel a balloting backlash.

House Speaker Mike Johnson: We want to expand upon Trump-era tax cuts & do massive regulatory reform

“The IRA is the quintessential policy that can create jobs, drive economic growth and improve our economy,” said Bob Keefe, executive director of E2, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group comprising about 10,000 business leaders and investors, “while at the same time giving us the tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

While the clean energy jobs market remains small relative to a total U.S. employment market of roughly 160 million Americans, it has become more than just a blip in the jobs picture. Data for the full year 2024 is not yet available, but according to E2’s Clean Jobs America 2024 report released in September, more than 149,000 clean-energy jobs were created in 2023, accounting for 6.4% of new jobs economy-wide and nearly 60% of total employment across the entire energy sector. Over the past three years, E2 reported, clean-energy jobs increased by 14%, reaching nearly 3.5 million workers nationwide. “Our members and businesses across a lot of sectors are very concerned about the potential of repealing” the IRA, Keefe said.

In the two years since the IRA passed, E2 has tracked private-sector clean-energy projects, including solar, wind, grid electrification, clean vehicles and EV and storage batteries. To date, it has identified 358 major projects in 42 states and investments of nearly $132 billion. More than 60% of the announced projects — representing nearly 80% of the investment and 70% of the jobs — are located in Republican congressional districts.

In November, the Net Zero Policy Lab at Johns Hopkins University released a study focused on the domestic and global impacts of tinkering with Biden’s climate bills, in particular, the IRA. “Our scenario analysis shows that U.S. repeal of the IRA would, in the most likely scenario, harm U.S. manufacturing and trade and create up to $80 billion in investment opportunities for other countries, including major U.S. competitors like China,” the study said. “U.S. harm would come in the form of lost factories, lost jobs, lost tax revenue and up to $50 billion in lost exports.”

The fallout of gutting the IRA has not been lost on GOP lawmakers whose states and counties are benefiting from the law’s largesse. In August, 18 House Republicans sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, urging him not to axe the tax credits that have “created good jobs in many parts of the country — including many districts represented by members of our conference.”

Coincidentally, one of the signees, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, is Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor. Another, Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia, has touted the eight clean-energy projects, totaling $7.8 billion in investments and creating 7,222 jobs, the IRA has brought to his district. And the tiny town of Dalton, Georgia, home of the largest solar panel manufacturing plant in the western hemisphere and source of about 2,000 jobs, is in the district represented by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a vociferous climate-change skeptic who has nonetheless cheered the factory.

The QCells solar panel manufacturing plant in Dalton, Georgia, U.S., on Monday, May 3, 2021. 

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

In a survey of nearly 930 business stakeholders conducted in August by E2 and BW Research, more than half (53%) said they would lose business or revenue as a direct result of an IRA repeal and 21% would have to lay off workers.

If Republicans fully repeal the IRA, which would require congressional approval, they “would be shooting themselves in the foot and hurting their own constituents,” said Andrew Reagan, executive director of Clean Energy for America, a nonprofit that advocates for the clean-energy workforce. “You would see not only projects canceled, but job losses,” he said.

West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who will chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee this year, talked in a recent interview with Politico about a focus on rolling back elements of the IRA, including “frivolous” spending, while pushing to keep parts that have created clean-energy jobs. In her state, “some people have taken advantage of this tax relief and are now employing 800 and 1,000 people,” Capito said, “and that’s what this should be all about.”

Union organizing at EV and battery plants

In addition to spurring new job growth, the IRA, Infrastructure Act and CHIPS Act each have provisions ensuring that a significant portion of jobs created go to union members or provide prevailing wages and benefits, apprenticeships and job training to non-union workers. So it’s no surprise that unions are also on the front line in the battle to protect the bills.

Unionization rates in clean energy have surpassed traditional energy employment for the first time, reaching 12.4%, according to a recent Department of Energy report. “That’s a really big deal for us and we want to keep building on that,” said Samantha Smith, strategic advisor for clean energy jobs for the AFL-CIO, which represents more than 12.5 million U.S. workers in manufacturing, construction, mining and other sectors. “We’re going to work to make sure that every job and clean-energy project with this federal funding can be a good union job,” she said. “That is our focus when looking at this legislation and what Congress might do.”

The Laborers’ International Union of North America represents about 530,000 workers in the energy and construction industries. Executive director Brent Booker noted that LIUNA members voted for both Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, but that “none voted to take their jobs away.” And while “cautiously optimistic that the IRA is going to stay in place,” the union “will hold to account this administration to make sure” it does.

A recent report from the Center for Automotive Research outlines the critical workforce needs to meet the demand for EV batteries, which is expected to grow six-fold in the U.S. by 2030. There are a significant skills gaps in the battery industry, the report stated, which will require increased recruitment and training of workers — especially engineers, technicians and assemblers — for years to come.

This paves the way for unions to organize workers at battery plant factories, many of which are joint ventures located in the so-called “battery belt” that stretches from Michigan down to Georgia. In February of last year, the United Auto Workers committed $40 million through 2026 in funds to support non-union autoworkers and battery workers who are organizing across the country, and particularly in the South.

“In the next few years, the electric vehicle battery industry is slated to add tens of thousands of jobs across the country,” the UAW said in announcing the investment. “These jobs will supplement, and in some cases largely replace, existing powertrain jobs in the auto industry. Through a massive new organizing effort, workers will fight to maintain and raise the standard in the emerging battery industry.”

Indeed, just this week, workers at Ford’s $6-billion BlueOval SK EV battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky, a joint venture with South Korea’s SK On, filed with the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election.

Clean Energy for America’s Reagan said he assumes that Trump will be true to his America First platform: to strengthen U.S. manufacturing and supply chains, cut consumers’ energy bills in half by increasing domestic energy production and reduce reliance on foreign trade, especially with China. “He can’t do any of those things if he repeals the tax credits or tries to stifle American companies that are creating jobs,” Reagan said. “If he’s going to be successful, he can’t take an adversarial approach to a huge part of our economy.” 

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Waymo outlengths Tesla: Elon’s phallic Robotaxi map backfires in Austin’s expansion battle

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July 17, 2025

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Waymo outlengths Tesla: Elon's phallic Robotaxi map backfires in Austin's expansion battle

Tesla started a dick measuring contest with Waymo, and it is losing. The Alphabet company is expanding its service area in Austin beyond Tesla’s recently updated penis-shaped service area.

Waymo is taking a few shots at Tesla in the announcement, too.

Last month, Tesla launched its ‘Robotaxi’ service in Austin.

As we have often reported in the last few months, the service is primarily for optics after years of being wrong about Tesla launching unsupervised self-driving in its consumer vehicles, CEO Elon Musk needed a “win” and therefore, Tesla launched a limited service in a small area of Austin, Texas with Tesla employees being in the cars at all-times ready to stop the vehicles.

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The service falls short of the promise that all Tesla vehicles built since 2016 would achieve unsupervised self-driving capabilities, and it’s also not comparable to Waymo’s service, which operates in Austin and several other cities without supervisors inside the vehicles.

Despite the situation, Tesla shareholders are hoping that the automaker is going to be able to scale faster than Waymo and eventually catch up.

They claimed victory when Tesla expanded its service area in Austin this week, but we noted that the expansion, which Tesla intentially made penis-shaped without any practical benefit, did more to illustrate the seriousness of the effort than anything else.

With the joke, Tesla inadvertently start a dick measuring context that it is now losing.

Today, Waymo announced its own service area expansion in Austin and it now covers 90 square miles:

After a successful four months serving riders together, Waymo and Uber are expanding our service territory in Austin – spanning North Austin to South Austin. Starting tomorrow, riders can take fully autonomous rides across 90 square miles of the city, including new neighborhoods like Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley  Franklin Park, and more, as well as popular destinations like The Domain and McKinney Falls State Park.

Waymo’s service area (blue) is now much bigger than Tesla’s (black):

But more importantly, Waymo’s service operates completely autonomously without any supervisor with a finger on a killswitch inside the vehicle like Tesla.

Waymo is well aware of the difference and poke Tesla in its announcement of the service area expansion:

We’re proud to offer the only fully autonomous, 24/7 experience for anyone in Austin, and are excited to offer more destinations across the city – no waitlists or caveats. In Austin, customers have been enjoying their experience, giving their Waymo trips 4.9 out of 5 on average. There are more than 100 Waymo vehicles on Uber in Austin, and that number will continually grow to hundreds over time.

By “fully autonomous”, Waymo means that it doesn’t have employees inside the vehicles. It also mentions “24/7” as Tesla’s service closes at midnight and also doesn’t operate in some weather conditions.

Waymo now serves more than 700 sq mi across the US, and it continues to expand fast.

Electrek’s Take

Waymo keeps doing its thing. It’s going to take some time, but at one point, Tesla shareholders are going to have to admit that Tesla has the same limitations in expanding its robotaxi service as Waymo does.

The main difference is that Waymo is already way ahead as it completed the phase with in-car supervisors years ago and already operates in a 10x bigger area than Tesla in the US.

It also has about 100x more vehicles.

The idea that Tesla will catch up by mid next year, which is what CEO Elon Musk claimed, is completely ludicrous.

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Exclusive $2,038 savings on EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra station at new $3,761 low + four 48-hour flash sale offers, Rad Power, more

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July 17, 2025

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Exclusive ,038 savings on EcoFlow's DELTA Pro Ultra station at new ,761 low + four 48-hour flash sale offers, Rad Power, more

Leading our Green Deals today is an exclusive deal we’ve secured for our readers with $2,038 savings on the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra Portable Power Station at a new $3,761 low. We’ve also got a spotlight back on Rad Power’s RadExpand 5 Folding e-bike at its $999 low, as well as EcoFlow’s final four 48-hour flash sale offers that are apart of the soon-to-end Phase 3 Prime Day Sale, with units like the DELTA 2 Max station bundle that comes with an 800W alternator charger and protective bag at its $1,049 low. Lastly, we have a one-day-only sale on the Greenworks 80V 10-inch Cordless Pole Saw kit at $218, which comes in under its Prime Day pricing. Plus, there’s all the hangover Prime Day savings in our Prime Day Green Deals hub at the bottom of the page, as well as yesterday’s ALLPOWERS R1500 LITE power station preorder launch, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Our readers can score EcoFlow’s most expansive DELTA Pro Ultra station with $2,038 in exclusive savings to new $3,761 low

We’ve secured a great new exclusive deal from Wellbots for our readers on the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra Portable Power Station for $3,761.10 shipped, after using the exclusive code 9TO5DPU10 at checkout. While it normally goes for $6,098 in full direct from EcoFlow, its starting rate at Wellbots is lower at $5,799. We last secured a similar exclusive cut to $3,799 back in April, which is getting beaten out by the combined $2,038 markdown here, landing down at a new all-time low price for this expansive whole-home backup solution from one of the most popular brands in the game.

EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra power station is the brand’s best option to gain whole-home backup support due to its modular design that allows you to bolster its capabilities with expansion over time. This unit starts with a 6.1kWh LiFePO4 battery capacity and max 7,200W output ability, which can be expanded upon with added equipment up to a massive 90kWh capacity and 21.6kW output. For context on what this starting setup can do – you’ll get up to two days of essential appliance backup power, which can climb up to 15 straight days when its been invested into a full expanded setup – and that’s not even taking solar charging equipment into mind, which only extends its coverage for even longer with regular sunlight exposure. There’s also the smart home integration that comes once you’ve added the brand’s Smart Home Panel 2 to your home setup, allowing for smart power analysis and roof panel connections.

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The DELTA Pro Ultra station’s solar input is also an expandable feature, as it can go from 5.6kW to 16.8kW, or you can recharge it to full via a wall outlet in just two hours, while also having hook-ups for EV piles and generators too. As a note for future plans, investing in its fully expanded system (three Ultra Pro stations + expansion batteries) while also having the maximum solar setup recharging it would give you the power you need to run your entire home for a single day off just one hour of sunny conditions. It also comes with a dust-proof and splash-proof IP54 construction, as well as the durability to stand against severe temperatures from -4 degrees to 113 degrees, making it ready for travel plans to campsites, on RVs, and more.

woman approaching e-bike with coffee in hand

Don’t miss Rad Power’s space-saving RadExpand 5 folding e-bike while at its $999 low

As part of Rad Power’s extended Prime Day promotions running through July 23, which include the ongoing second-ever savings on its new Radster Road Commuter and Radster Trail Off-Road e-bikes, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the continued low pricing on its RadExpand 5 Folding e-bike at $999 shipped. Before June saw the pricing come down this low, it was regularly keeping to its $1,599 full price and only dropping regularly to $1,299 during sales. Of course, since Father’s Day, we’ve been seeing this massive $600 markdown hang on so fans can score it at the best price to date, giving you a solid commuting option and versatile utility companion for errands and such.

If you want to learn more about this model, be sure to check out our original coverage here, as well as our full coverage of the Rad Power Sale running through July 23 here.

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station sitting on countertop next to toaster oven

Save up to 59% on four EcoFlow flash bundles like the DELTA 2 Max with alternator charger and bag at $1,049 low

As part of its ongoing Phase 3 Prime Day Sale, EcoFlow has launched the last of its 48-hour flash sales that are taking up to 59% off four different bundle offers. Among the units we’re seeing included – three of which give you power stations and one allows you to expand an existing setup – things start with the DELTA 2 Max Portable Power Station bundle that includes an 800W Alternator Charger and a free protective bag for the station at $1,049 shipped, which you won’t currently find in stock at Amazon. It’s coming down from its full $2,577 price tag, with this same flash offers having appeared in last week’s Phase 2 Sale. Through July 18, you’ll have another chance at the biggest savings of $1,528, landing the costs back at the best price we have tracked. Head below for more on this bundle and the others we’re seeing discounted in this sale.

If you want to learn more about this power station’s capabilities, as well as the three other flash offers, be sure to check out our original coverage of the sale here.

Greenworks pole saw cutting through tree branch

You’ll get 14.5-feet of reach with Greenworks’ 80V 10-inch cordless pole saw at $218 (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Greenworks 80V 10-inch Cordless Pole Saw for $217.99 shipped, which currently beats out Amazon where it’s sitting at full price. Normally going for $300, for the rest of the day, you can pick it up here with $82 taken off the tag. After spending January and the first half of February at $225, we’ve mainly seen discounts dropping the costs between $240 and $270 since then, with last week’s Prime Day event dropping things to $220. While we have seen it go lower in the past, you’re looking at a solid 27% markdown to one of the lowest prices we’ve spotted this year.

If you want to learn more about this electric lawn care solution, be sure to check out our original coverage here.

Best Summer EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Rivian announces new East Coast Headquarters coming to Atlanta, Georgia

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July 17, 2025

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Rivian announces new East Coast Headquarters coming to Atlanta, Georgia

Rivian headquarters

American automaker Rivian has shared its second release outlining expanded offices this week. Earlier today, Rivian shared plans for a new East Coast Headquarters coming to Atlanta, Georgia. The headquarters will operate near its massive new EV production facility being erected outside the city.

We’re almost having déjà vu on the Rivian news beat this week.

Just yesterday, we shared news that Rivian was planning to open a new international office in London, UK, which will become an AI-centric development hub.

At the time, we pointed out that Rivian currently operates out of a headquarters in Palo Alto, California, alongside its main production facility located in Normal, Illinois. Furthermore, the American automaker is currently in the process of building a second production footprint capable of housing 7,500 employees, located about 40 minutes outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

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Other US locations currently include offices in Irvine and Carson, CA, Wittmann, AZ, and Plymouth, MI. Outside of the US, Rivian operates out of offices in Vancouver, BC, Canada, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Belgrade, Serbia.

Today, Rivian announced a further investment in Georgia, making Atlanta the new home of its East Coast Headquarters.

Rivian headquarters
Rending of Rivian’s future East Coast headquarters / Source: Rivian

Rivian’s new headquarters to open in late 2025

Rivian’s second headquarters was announced this afternoon alongside Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.

The new office space, which is expected to support 500 employees, will occupy the lobby and top floor of the Junction Krog District building, located at 667 Auburn Ave NE, near the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta Beltline. The new headquarters will enable Rivian to operate closer to its pending production facility in Stanton Springs North, outside Atlanta.

With a growing footprint and investment in the Peach State, Rivian has already shared intentions to develop relationships and partnerships with universities, technical colleges, and local, regional, and state institutions. Governor Kemp spoke:

Georgia is a prime location for any company headquarters, and we’re glad to see Rivian will soon join the growing list of brands not only operating in our state but also wholly or partially based in our capital city. They recognize the unmatched value of Georgia’s talent and the location of their East Coast Headquarters in Atlanta is the latest demonstration of their commitment to the Peach State. I look forward to that commitment translating to new jobs and opportunities for hardworking Georgians.

Per Rivian, the new East Coast Headquarters is expected to officially open in late 2025 and employ around 100 people before expanding to 500 employees when fully built and operational.

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