Chinese clean energy firms could lose U.S. tax benefits under new bill

Chinese clean energy companies risk losing tax benefits under the Inflation Reduction Act if the One Big Beautiful Bill becomes law, following its narrow passage in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a budget reconciliation package supporting President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, passed the House of Representatives by one vote early Thursday. The legislation includes provisions that would exclude Chinese clean energy firms from tax incentives established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The IRA, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022 and sometimes called the “Green New Deal,” offers tax credits to clean energy producers and manufacturers, especially those involved in electric vehicle batteries, battery storage, solar, and wind energy.

China dominates global solar manufacturing, with eight of the top ten solar companies worldwide headquartered there, according to researchers at Photovoltaic Brand Lab. Since the IRA’s enactment, Chinese companies have invested heavily in solar projects across the U.S., totaling over a billion dollars in states including Florida, Ohio, Texas, Alabama, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Despite these investments, it remains uncertain how the new bill will affect these Chinese solar ventures, as none have publicly commented on the development.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which includes Chinese solar firms among its members, criticized the bill’s passage. SEIA president Abigail Ross Hopper described the proposed changes as “unworkable” for solar deployment and warned of rising electricity costs and increased risk of blackouts without continued solar growth, a sector where China plays a dominant role.

However, U.S. residential electricity prices have risen from 12.65 cents per kilowatt hour in 2015 to 16.48 cents in 2024, despite record levels of solar installation, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where China solar importers are urging lawmakers to reconsider and amend the proposed restrictions.

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