The NPR Politics Podcast

Episode: Year In Review: Trump’s Environmental Policy
Date: December 25, 2025
Host/Panel: Ashley Lopez, Tamara Keith, Michael Copley, Camila Domonosky

Overview

This episode takes a comprehensive look at President Trump's environmental and climate policies during 2025, examining their impact on domestic emissions, renewable energy, fossil fuels, home and car insurance, and U.S. engagement with international climate efforts. Insights are provided into legislative changes, economic implications for ordinary Americans, and the broader political and global context, with reporters drawing on both data and firsthand expertise.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Political Shift & Trump’s Climate Policy Reversal

[00:34–02:36]

• Complete Policy Reversal: After President Trump returned to office, U.S. climate policy did a “complete 180” from the preceding Biden administration. Instead of supporting green initiatives, major environmental and climate policies were rolled back.
• Inflation Reduction Act vs. ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: The Inflation Reduction Act under Biden invested in climate actions; Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” repealed many of its key provisions.
  • Quote: “President Trump has basically a vendetta against green energy… President Trump won and U.S. policy took a complete 180.”
    — Tamara Keith [01:27]
• Emissions Trajectory: Under Biden, emissions were projected to fall 40% by 2035 (vs. 2005). Under Trump, now just 25%—barely above the current 20%.
  • Quote: “Under the big beautiful bill, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are expected to fall… by about 25% by 2035 compared to 2005 levels. That’s not much of a change from where the country is now.”
    — Michael Copley [02:36]

2. End of Renewables Support & Energy Cost Debates

[03:23–06:05]

• Tax Credits Terminated: Federal tax credits for wind and solar projects have ended, raising their costs and projected to slow growth in renewables.
• Fossil Fuel Prioritization: Federal agencies under the Trump administration are also actively slowing or halting renewables expansion, even as electricity demand rises fast (e.g., due to new data centers).
• Energy Price Rhetoric:
  • Republicans blame green energy for rising power prices, arguing it’s unreliable.
  • Democrats counter that Trump’s pro-fossil-fuel stance actually raises costs by reducing supply.
  • Expert Analysis: A Lawrence Berkeley National Lab report found renewables aren’t to blame for rising prices; policies pushing rapid adoption might contribute, but not renewables themselves.
  • Quote: “The wind and solar renewables on their own are not generally to blame or connected to rising prices.”
    — Michael Copley [05:15]

3. Climate Disasters, Home Insurance, and Cost of Living

[06:05–08:02]

• Surge in Home Insurance Costs: Premiums up ~24% nationwide, especially in disaster-prone states (e.g., Nebraska’s average is now $6,400).
  • Causes include more frequent and severe disasters (climate-driven), increased population in vulnerable areas, and rebuilding inflation.
  • Quote: “Premiums are going up. That’s weighing on household budgets, and it’s making insurance hard to find in some cases.”
    — Michael Copley [06:14]
• Political Repercussions: The rising cost of living—especially housing and insurance—is a cross-partisan problem, not just a climate or energy issue. This poses a challenge for the Trump administration.
  • Quote: “The politics of climate change are pretty set and pretty partisan. But the politics of life getting more expensive are not nearly as partisan.”
    — Tamara Keith [07:26]

4. U.S. Disengagement from Global Climate Efforts

[08:02–09:36]

• Paris Accord Withdrawal: Trump again pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord and skipped global climate summits; climate policy is not a priority for this administration.
  • Quote: “He has basically unsubscribed, I think is the best way to put it.”
    — Tamara Keith [08:09]
• Global Outlook: Other nations remain highly concerned; recent UN reports project that, as things stand, global warming could exceed 5°F by 2100—well above Paris targets.
• Urgency: To meet agreed temperature targets, emissions must fall roughly five times faster than present rates.

5. Trump’s Policies & the Oil and Gas Industry

[11:16–14:26]

• Fossil Fuel Favoritism: Trump’s administration continues “drill baby drill” policies—cutting regulations and opening up more land and offshore areas for oil production.
• Oil Market Contradictions: Trump desires both “booming oil production” and low gasoline prices, but these are contradictory (low prices disincentivize drilling).
  • Quote: “He both wants oil prices to be very low… and talks about drill baby, drill… you can’t have both of those things.”
    — Camila Domonosky [11:25]
• Structural Benefits for Oil: The real gain for the oil industry is regulatory rollback and a more favorable landscape for future production, not immediate ramp-ups.

6. Electric Vehicle Setbacks & Auto Industry Changes

[14:42–17:55]

• End of EV Incentives: The administration eliminated tax credits for electric vehicles and revoked California’s waiver, undermining stringent vehicle emissions standards.
  • Quote: “The policy has been: gas good, electric vehicles, eh?”
    — Tamara Keith [15:39]
• Industry Response:
  • Companies like Ford ended production of certain all-electric models and are shifting toward hybrids, partly due to reduced demand but also due to lack of incentives and weakened regulations.
  • Federal funding for EV charging infrastructure is frozen.
• EPA Regulatory Reversal: The administration seeks to reverse the EPA endangerment finding that enabled federal climate regulations, which could void many policies.
  • Quote: “If it were to be finalized, that would mean all EPA standards based on fighting climate change would be void.”
    — Tamara Keith [17:25]

7. Complex Effects on Car Prices & Insurance

[19:04–21:41]

• Car Price Uncertainty: Rolling back efficiency and emissions regulations may not make cars significantly cheaper, as savings can be offset by higher fuel use and larger vehicles being prioritized.
  • Quote: “Nobody should hold their breath expecting car prices to plunge. That would be extremely surprising.”
    — Camila Domonosky [20:30]
• Rising Car Insurance: Insurance rates are soaring due to increased repair costs, more expensive parts, medical payouts, and riskier driving habits post-pandemic. More Americans are underinsured or forgoing insurance—a financially risky trend.
  • Advice: “Shop around for car insurance. And if you’re in the market for a new car, price out the insurance before you decide.”
    — Camila Domonosky [21:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We’re getting rid of the falsely named renewables, fossil fuels, what works. The windmills are driving the whales crazy.”
  — Tamara Keith quoting Trump [00:49]
• “Coal is back with this country, too, by the way.”
  — Camila Domonosky [00:59]
• “Con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my opinion.”
  — Camila Domonosky [01:08]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:34] – Overview of Trump’s return and climate policy reversals
• [02:36] – Impact of Trump’s new energy bill on emissions trajectory
• [03:23] – Termination of wind/solar tax credits and impact on renewables
• [05:15] – Report on causes of rising power prices
• [06:14] – Home insurance premiums and climate disasters
• [08:09] – Withdrawal from Paris Accord and global climate efforts
• [11:16] – Effects of Trump’s energy policy on oil industry
• [14:42] – Rollback of EV and emissions standards
• [17:25] – EPA endangerment finding proposal explained
• [19:04] – Price and availability of cars and insurance
• [21:40] – Impact and advice regarding car insurance rates

Conclusion

The episode paints a stark picture of how, in 2025, President Trump’s administration initiated sweeping rollbacks of Biden-era climate policies, realigning the U.S. with fossil fuels, slashing support for renewables and electric vehicles, and disengaging from international climate agreements. The effects ripple from emissions projections to consumer wallets—via energy and insurance prices—and have profound implications for the planet’s climate trajectory.

The discussion underscores that while energy and climate remain polarizing topics in D.C., the pressures of rising costs—be it from disasters or insurance—are felt by all Americans, making these policy debates immediately relevant beyond the wonkier corners of Washington.