Residents in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional district once had reason to look forward to 300 new jobs and 2 million tons of avoided carbon emissions, thanks to local clean energy projects.
The district makes up a huge amount of the state—if you draw a line from just below Carson City, through Fallon, to just south of Ely, everything above that line is the 2nd Congressional. For a region where many communities are hungry for decent-paying work outside tourism and mining, those 300 clean energy jobs would have been a big deal for families from Reno and Sparks to the smallest high desert towns.
But soon after President Donald Trump started his second term, his Department of Energy cut hundreds of clean energy projects, billions in clean energy investments, and thousands of jobs—including the 300 planned in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District.
One of those projects cancelled was a $95 million Department of Energy grant to Nevada Gold Mines to build industrial-scale solar panels and battery storage systems at its Turquoise Ridge and Cortez mines in Humboldt and Lander counties, cutting 2 million tons of carbon emissions over the life of the project. It was exactly the kind of deal politicians love to brag about: a big federal investment, high-wage jobs in rural Nevada, and a cleaner future for communities that have lived next to mines for generations.
But when Trump moved to cancel billions in clean-energy grants nationwide, projects like Nevada Gold Mines’ were suddenly on the chopping block—part of an estimated tens of billions in climate and clean energy funding his administration has targeted for repeal.
Where was Nevada’s leadership when all of this happened?
Instead of fighting to protect those jobs and promised investments in his own district, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Carson City) backed House Republicans’ budget bill to roll back clean energy tax credits, a vote advocates say puts more than 15,000 clean energy jobs and over $11 billion in planned investment in Nevada’s 2nd District at risk.
In fact, Trump and Amodei worked together to repeal clean energy tax credits installed by President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is even projected to raise energy costs by $250 to $326 per household by 2030, according to Rhodium Group.
Until Trump came for Nevada, Amodei gestured as a clean energy advocate. He’s a member of the Conservative Climate Caucus, as well as the Climate Solutions Caucus, which according to his own website “aim to find sound environmental policy to reduce emissions and foster a cleaner environment for all.”
In 2020, when he was endorsed by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions—a Republican non-profit focused on addressing the “nation’s energy, economic, and environmental security”—Amodei called clean energy sources “critical to preserving our climate, driving economic growth, and spurring local job creation.”
In April 2025, Amodei was quoted by the Nevada Independent saying the advanced manufacturing production and new clean vehicle credits that would benefit his district were “the floor.”
“The electric vehicle and battery technology stuff is not the future … it’s now,” Amodei is quoted by the Nevada Independent as saying at an event. “Pursuing those because it’s the right policy for your region and your people, regardless of whether you’re a donkey or an elephant or a wild horse or whatever you are, is a smart thing to do.”
But when Trump wanted to roll back Nevada’s clean energy future, Amodei fell in line. Just a few months after the Nevada Independent’s article, he voted for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” which cut new and used electric vehicle tax credits as of Sept. 30, 2025.
Nevada is just one part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration and his followers to cut clean energy jobs across the country. A report published in February 2026 found that nearly 173,000 clean energy jobs have been cut or delayed since Trump was elected.
Those jobs were spread across 354 projects, and had enough investment behind them to power over 14 million American homes.
In February, Amodei announced that he’d decided not to run for reelection this year. It’s already becoming a crowded race. Find your voting options here.
