Senate Republicans Lobbying For Green Energy Tax Credits Raked In Donations From Industry

Phasing out Biden-era green energy tax credits is dividing Senate Republicans as they push their latest version of the “big beautiful bill,” and some members of the GOP have a financial incentive to keep the credits rolling.

The Senate’s draft represents a substantial cut to the existing climate-friendly energy tax credits, but some Republicans are pursuing a less aggressive rollback than their House counterparts, according to a report from The Hill.

Several GOP senators who oppose a full repeal argue that even the Senate’s scaled-back proposal goes too far in dismantling the clean energy tax credits established under the Biden Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. (RELATED: Green Energy Think Tank Reportedly Cuts Staff After DOE Grant Cancellations)

President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill is filled with so many aspects that the American people have been demanding — from unleashing energy dominance to tax cuts and stopping the Green New Scam.

Great hour long conversation with @laralogan pic.twitter.com/PwRS4ZVWjF

— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) June 13, 2025

Republican Senators who have voiced concerns or pushed back against a “full-scale” repeal of energy tax credits include Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, Utah Sen. John Curtis and West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.

Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, whose state hosts one of the “hydrogen hubs” created under the Biden administration, expressed concern over the bill’s deadline requiring projects to begin construction by the end of the year to qualify for tax credits.

Capito said she’s working to delay that deadline, calling it “a pretty tight timeline,” and adding, “I’m trying to get the date pushed back. I don’t know if I’ll be successful,” according to another report from The Hill.

She has also received $49,200 in campaign contributions from Williams, a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based energy company with significant investments in hydrogen infrastructure during the 2024 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets data.

Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford likewise received $54,500 in contributions from Williams during the same time period.

Capito also took $45,325 during the 2024 election cycle from First Energy, an electric utility that has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

A group of four Republicans — Sens. Murkowski, Curtis, Moran and Tillis — have jointly cautioned against a “full-scale” repeal of the energy tax credits enacted by Democrats in 2022.

In their message, they called for each credit to be assessed based on its potential to boost U.S. manufacturing, lower utility costs — particularly in rural communities — and provide stability for businesses that have already made investments under the current framework. (RELATED: The Trump Tax Cut American Families Need)

“The United States produces some of the cleanest and most efficient energy in the world, and an all-of-the-above approach — including support for traditional and renewable energy sources — has long been a hallmark of our energy strategy,” the senators wrote.

“To that end, many American companies have made substantial investments in domestic energy production and infrastructure based on the current energy tax framework. A wholesale repeal, or the termination of certain individual credits, would create uncertainty, jeopardizing capital allocation, long-term project planning, and job creation in the energy sector and across our broader economy,” their letter read.

Tillis, has advocated for a “targeted, pragmatic approach” to the energy tax credits, rather than supporting a full repeal.

U.S. Senate has released their version of the new tax bill, energy credit provisions have changed:

Wind & solar tax credits will begin phaseout in 2026 & will receive zero investment tax credits by 2028.

Nuclear, hydropower & geothermal will see tax credits extend to 2036. pic.twitter.com/6wk2vfu5Ml

— Stock Talk (@stocktalkweekly) June 16, 2025

He also received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions during the 2022 and 2024 election cycles — both individually and through political action committees — from major financial institutions including Blackstone Group, Apollo Global Management, Truist Financial and Goldman Sachs, according to OpenSecrets (OS).

The firms have collectively invested millions of dollars in clean energy initiatives and companies in recent years.

Collins received tens of thousands of dollars in contributions during the 2022 and 2024 cycles from Blackstone, Goldman and Nextra Energy, which reports to have 55% of its portfolio invested in renewable energy.

Capito also received tens of thousands of dollars from Blackstone during the 2022 and 2024 election cycles.

OpenSecrets also shows Murkowski received tens of thousands of dollars through PACs or individually over the same two cycles from companies like ConocoPhillips, a company dedicated to be the first in the U.S. oil and gas company to set a goal of reaching net-zero operational emissions.

This follows Capital Group Companies‘ announcement in March that it was committing $30.57 million to fossil fuel investments, including a stake in ConocoPhillips.

Curtis has likewise received $59,700 in contributions during the 2024 election cycle from Sunrun, which markets itself as “the #1 home solar and battery company in America.”

“I think that Senator Crapo did a really good job, but there’s more work to be done,” Curtis told The Hill when asked about the big beautiful bill, referring to the Idaho Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. Curtis offered no further details.

Moran adjacently received $38,500 in campaign contributions during the 2024 election cycle from Kit Bond Strategies Group, according to OpenSecrets records.

The firm actively lobbied on behalf of multiple renewable energy companies throughout that time. (RELATED: ROBERT WALKER: GOP Should Rethink Cutting Energy Tax Credits)

The draft text of the bill, released Monday by the Senate Finance Committee, maintains credits for nuclear, hydropower, and geothermal energy, and does not immediately eliminate subsidies for solar and wind, disappointing Republicans who sought a more aggressive rollback of Democratic climate policies.

The Daily Caller reached out to Tillis, Murkowski, Curtis, Capito, Moran and Lankford for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication.