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Tillis Right, Whatley Wrong: Trump’s War on Clean Energy Kills North Carolina Battery Company, Canceling 1,000 Jobs

Trump’s energy policies contributed to Natron Energy’s closure and cancellation of its planned $1.4 billion factory, which would have created 1,000 jobs
September 3, 2025

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Washington, D.C. — The News & Observer reported that Natron Energy, a battery startup that planned to build a $1.4 billion factory in Eastern North Carolina, is closing. North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley blamed Trump’s energy policies for contributing to the battery company’s closure and canceling 1,000 good-paying jobs. Last summer, Natron Energy announced its plans to build the new North Carolina factory, thanks in part to tax credits for clean energy manufacturing and funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The canceled North Carolina battery factory shows the danger of Trump’s attacks on clean energy, which have already canceled or delayed more than 64,000 clean energy jobs since his election. While Senator Tillis warned of the damage Trump’s bill would do, Trump’s handpicked puppet to replace him, Michael Whatley, continues to cheerlead the bill that is killing North Carolina jobs.

Former Washington Governor and head of Climate Power’s Accountability Project, Jay Inslee, issued the following statement: “North Carolina workers are the canaries in the coal mine as Trump pushes his petty vendetta against clean energy. The jobs at this factory could have revitalized a struggling community while securing America’s grid, but Trump’s reckless policies that attack the cleanest, cheapest forms of energy will make cancellations like this one more common. Trump promised to lower costs, but instead the Republican Rate Hike is giving tax breaks to oil and gas CEOs and forcing working families to pay the price with skyrocketing utility bills and fewer jobs.” 

Trump’s reckless energy policies are killing clean energy projects across the country: