¶ Overview
- In March 2025, Hurd signed a letter asking House Ways And Means Committee to protect clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act and provide necessary stability for businesses in his district, but then voted for the final version of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that cut those credits.
- Experts estimated that cuts from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” would increase energy costs, hurt clean energy businesses, and kill thousands of jobs.
¶ Hurd Claimed To Support Inflation Reduction Act Clean Energy Tax Credits, Then Voted To Cut Them On Three Separate Occasions
¶ February 2025: Hurd Voted In Favor Of THe Republican Budget Proposal, Which Made Sweeping Cuts To The Inflation Reduction Act Clean Energy Tax Credits
2/25/25: Hurd Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Framework That Included $2 Trillion In Cuts, Raised The Statutory Debt Limit By $4 Trillion, And Required House Committees To Recommend Legislation That Would Implement Trump’s Agenda. In February 2025, Hurd voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the concurrent resolution that would recommend a budget for fiscal 2025 and budget levels through fiscal 2034. The resolution would assume minimum savings of $1.5 trillion over 10 years and 2.6 percent economic growth over the same period. It also would require the statutory debt limit to be raised by $4 trillion. It also would authorize the House Ways and Means Committee to increase deficits by $4.5 trillion over 10 years to extend the 2017 tax cuts and implement new tax cuts proposed by the White House. It also would provide instructions for the budget reconciliation process through which separate legislation could be considered and passed in the Senate via a simple majority vote. The measure would deliver instructions to 11 House committees to report legislation that would implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, such as expanding tax cuts and bolstering border security and immigration enforcement. The committees would be required to report their legislative recommendations to the House Budget Committee by March 27, 2025. It also would set a $2 trillion target for the spending cuts to be submitted to the House Budget Committee. The resolution also would stipulate that if the committees don't reach that target, the Ways and Means’ reconciliation instructions to increase the deficit by a maximum of $4.5 trillion would be decreased by the amount the other committees come in below the target. Similarly, it would stipulate that Ways and Means could increase the deficit above the $4.5 trillion level by the amount of savings the committees achieve above the $2 trillion target.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 217 to 215. [House Vote 50, 2/25/25; Congressional Quarterly, 2/25/25; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 14]
- The Republican Budget Proposal Threatened Massive Cuts To Clean Energy Initiatives. According to a press release from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, “While the bill text has yet to be drafted, the framework approved by the House Budget Committee would provide an additional $4 trillion in spending, including the tax cut extensions and additional funding for the military and border. The bill would also pursue at least $2 trillion in cuts to funding for social and domestic programs, including rescinding clean energy initiatives, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; previously known as food stamps), and Medicaid. The Senate Budget Committee is pursuing their own ‘skinny’ budget reconciliation package that would carry an additional $342 billion in funding for the military and border and will likely seek at least $4 billion in spending cuts, including rolling back some of the clean energy initiatives created under the “Inflation Reduction Act” and potential cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.” [Press Release – National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2/18/25]
¶ March 2025: Hurd Joined 21 House Republicans In Urging Republican Leaders To Protect Clean Energy Tax Credits Created By The Inflation reduction act
Hurd Joined 21 House Republicans In Signing A Letter Urging Leadership To Preserve The IRA’s Clean Energy Tax Credits. According to the Daily Caller, "Twenty-one House Republicans, led by New York Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino, wrote a joint letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith Sunday, urging Congress’ chief tax writer to preserve hundreds of billions of dollars in green energy tax credits from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that he signed into law in August 2022. […] Four freshmen lawmakers, Republican Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania and Gabe Evans and Jeff Hurd of Colorado also signed the letter." [Daily Caller, 3/10/25]
Hurd: “When We're Constantly Changing The Rules, It Makes It Hard For Business To Prepare And To Keep Energy Costs Low.” According to CPR News, "In March, freshman Reps. Jeff Hurd and Gabe Evans signed onto a letter asking to protect some of the energy tax credits from the IRA. Hurd is optimistic that leadership will heed that request, noting that companies that have been planning on those credits. ‘Particularly when it comes to utility infrastructure and investment, they make decisions on a 5-, 10- 15-, 20-year time horizons. And when we're constantly changing the rules, it makes it hard for business to prepare and to keep energy costs low,’ Hurd told CPR News." [CPR News, 5/9/25]
¶ May 2025: Hurd then Voted For The House Republican Budget Bill That Repealed Clean Energy Tax Credits Created By The Inflation Reduction Act
5/22/25: Hurd Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, Hurd voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution. It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- The House Republican Budget Bill Included Cuts To Federal Tax Credits For Wind, Solar, Storage, And Other Clean Energy Projects. According to Utility Dive, "House Republicans on Thursday morning narrowly passed a sweeping budget bill that guts federal support for wind, solar, storage and other clean energy industries. The bill terminates most technology-neutral clean energy tax credits for projects placed in service after 2028 and those that begin construction more than 60 days after the bill’s passage. It also tightens restrictions on foreign entities’ involvement in projects, creating a ‘truly untenable’ situation for developers, Jefferies analysts said Thursday. Nuclear projects have more time to qualify for the credit." [Utility Dive, 6/3/25]
- One Trade Association CEO Said The Bill Would Weaken Power Systems, Send Shockwaves Through The U.S. Economy, And Kill Tens Of Thousands Of Jobs. According to Utility Dive, "The House bill ‘abruptly dismantles bipartisan, long-standing tax policy that has catalyzed billions in private investment for affordable, reliable energy while sparking a rebirth of manufacturing across America,’ AEU President and CEO Heather O’Neill said. ‘If enacted as written, this bill will weaken our power system and send shockwaves throughout the U.S. economy by raising electricity prices, killing tens of thousands of jobs and ceding energy dominance to China.’" [Utility Dive, 5/22/25]
¶ July 2025: Hurd Voted For The final Republican budget Bill That Repealed clean Energy Tax Credits created By The Inflation Reduction Act
7/3/25: Hurd Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Million In Defense, Border, And Immigration Enforcement Funding, Increased The SALT Deduction To $40,000, And Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Costs. In July 2025, Hurd voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- The Final Republican Budget Bill Made Significant Cuts To Renewable Energy Tax Credits And Programs. According to KSJD, “On Thursday July 3, the House of Representatives passed the budget bill, known as the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' which included sweeping cuts to renewable energy tax credits and programs. The bill claws back funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration's landmark climate legislation, and changes or cuts energy and manufacturing tax credits. For example, solar and wind energy that are built and come online after 2027 will no longer be eligible for tax credits, significantly reducing the timeline for any projects to get off the ground.” [KSJD, 7/7/25]
- The Final Version Of The GOP Budget Bill Phased Out Tax Credits For Wind And Solar Power, Derailing Current And Planned Projects In Those Industries. According to the New York Times, “The bill would quickly phase out tax credits for wind and solar power, two of the fastest growing sources of electricity in the United States. Both industries could shrink but are unlikely to vanish, experts said. Previously, companies building wind and solar farms could qualify for a tax credit worth at least 30 percent of costs if they began construction before 2034. Under the new law, projects would likely need to start construction within the next year — roughly by July 2026 — to have the best chance of getting the full credit. After that, the subsidy becomes harder to get and swiftly expires.” [New York Times, 7/3/25]
- Federal Incentives For Electric Vehicles Were Repealed In The Final Version Of The GOP Budget Bill. According to the New York Times, “The bill is likely to put a major dent in the U.S. electric car market by repealing federal incentives that have been critical to its growth. Tax credits worth up to $7,500 to buy new or used electric cars will end by Sept. 30, 2025 under the new bill. (Those credits were previously available until 2032.) Also expiring is a loophole that allowed companies to pass tax savings on to people who leased vehicles. Incentives for businesses to buy electric trucks will vanish. Electric cars won’t disappear from dealerships, but they will get pricier. At the same time, the Trump administration is rolling back federal fuel-efficiency rules and has sought to block a California plan intended to force automakers to sell more zero-emissions vehicles.” [New York Times, 7/3/25]
- At The Same Time, The Final Version Of The GOP Budget Bill Granted Oil And Gas Companies Reduced Royalty Rates For Mining On Federal Land, A Tax Break To Oil And Gas Producers And A Tax Break On The U.S. Production Of Metallurgical Coal. According to the New York Times, “The legislation mandates oil and gas lease sales in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico and the American West. It lowers the royalty rates that coal companies pay to mine on federal lands. It provides additional tax breaks to oil and gas producers for ‘intangible drilling and development costs.’ And it delays for 10 years a hefty fee on oil and gas companies that leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from their operations. In a surprising last-minute change, Senate Republicans added a 2.5 percent tax break for U.S. production of metallurgical coal, a form of coal that has been used for decades in steel-making and is mainly exported to countries like India and Brazil.” [New York Times, 7/3/25]
¶ Cutting Clean Energy Tax Credits In The “Big Beautiful Bill” Was Predicted To Have Widespread Negative Effects Across Western Colorado
Nonpartisan Think Tank Energy Innovation Said Cuts To Clean Energy Tax Credits Will Hurt Fast-Growing Areas Like Colorado. According to Rocky Mountain PBS, "On Thursday July 3, the House of Representatives passed the budget bill, known as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ which included sweeping cuts to renewable energy tax credits and programs. […] Nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation (EI) says these cuts will mean less capacity for the nation's increasingly strained power grid. The group estimates that by 2030, there will be a 340 gigawatt decrease in generation capacity. Sara Baldwin, the group's senior electrification director, says this could harm fast-growing regions like the Mountain West. ‘We would see a net loss of generation capacity that we would have otherwise seen built by 2035 in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado, to the tune of eight gigawatts,’ she said. That's enough energy to power 6 million homes." [Rocky Mountain PBS, 7/13/25]
- Electrification Director At Energy Innovation Estimated That Across Three States Including Colorado, 17,000 Jobs Would Be Lost From Cuts In The “One Big Beautiful Bill.” According to Rocky Mountain PBS, "[Electrification Director at Energy Innovation Sarah] Baldwin says many of the tax credits the bill cuts have been in place for decades, but the IRA expanded their reach, and added supplemental programs. She estimates that across the three states, there would be a loss of over 17,000 jobs by the year 2030. ‘When you take something like a longstanding production and investment tax credit away from these businesses that are trying to create jobs in America, you are telling them that you do not respect the business that they have, and you do not want them to do that job creation here in the U.S.’" [Rocky Mountain PBS, 7/13/25]
- Nonpartisan Think Tank Energy Innovation Estimated Colorado Households Would See An Increase In Yearly Utility Costs Of About $300 Caused By The Clean Energy Tax Credit Cuts In The “One Big Beautiful Bill.” According to Rocky Mountain PBS, "On average, [Energy Innovation] EI estimates that Colorado and Utah households would see an increase in yearly utility costs of about $300. […] Sara Baldwin says the bill essentially takes the country back in time to a previous era. ‘They chose to compromise quality of life, American jobs, domestic energy production, in order to give billionaires more tax breaks and more tax cuts,’ she said. ‘(That's) also to say nothing of the fact that they're taking away healthcare from millions of Americans who need it. They're taking away social safety nets from millions of Americans that count on those.’" Rocky Mountain PBS, 7/13/25]
Owner Of A Small Solar Company In Ridgway And Montrose On The Big Beautiful Bill: “We Actually Don’t Believe We’re Going To Be Able To Stay In Business.” According to Rocky Mountain PBS, "Josh Shipley owns a small solar company, Alternative Power Enterprises, in Ridgway and Montrose, and he participated in Hickenlooper's press call on the impacts of the bill. ‘It looked like we had an off-ramp to 2032 to see these tax credits dissipate,’ he said. ‘That was imperative in our business plan. That was part of how we were able to afford to continue on this company of now 30+ years. Instantly removing these tax credits at the end of the year is gonna be extremely detrimental. We actually don't believe we're going to be able to stay in business.’ Shipley says his business is one of just two installers in the area, and this could hurt the community's ability to lower their energy costs. He says tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act have allowed his business to expand, helping people on the Western Slope reduce their energy costs. ‘In the last handful of years, we've actually been able to start helping low income families be able to go solar,’ he said. ‘I think in the last three years, over 120 families have benefitted from that.’" Rocky Mountain PBS, 7/13/25]
19 Clean Energy Projects In CO-03 Were At Risk From The “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
[Center for American Progress, Percentage Of Eligible Area And Number Of Eligible Projects In 119th Congressional Districts, 7/7/25]
Companies That Manufactured Wind Turbines In Hurd’s District Received IRA Credits. According to CPR News, “For example, companies like CS Wind and Vestas, which manufacture wind turbines in Hurd and Evans’ districts, utilized IRA tax credits. And several local electric cooperatives in Colorado — CORE Electric Cooperative, United Power, and Yampa Valley Electric Association — received IRA funds through the Empowering Rural America program to help them get more energy from renewables.” [CPR News, 5/9/25]