December 4, 2024 - Donald Trump is unlikely to resurrect efforts to save the coal industry and the president-elect may keep in place — at least temporarily — some tax incentives for renewables, a top Republican lobbyist told energy executives on Tuesday.

But the energy sector still should prepare for a protracted battle over the future of President Joe Biden’s signature climate law, said Mike McKenna, who served in the first Trump administration.

He predicted tax incentives for electric vehicles were the most at risk of repeal, and that incentives for renewables likely would be phased out over time. Fears that Trump could retroactively repeal existing subsidies are overblown, he said — especially given the incoming president’s background in the private sector.

“Businessmen all hate one thing … when you change the rules in the middle of the game,” McKenna told attendees of a conference held by the New England Power Generators Association, a trade group.