A confidential strategy memo obtained by POLITICO reveals that the American Clean Power Association (ACP) is engaging with prominent conservative figures and influencers to promote solar power as part of a broader campaign to align renewable energy with MAGA (Make America Great Again) messaging. The initiative, dubbed ‘American Energy First,’ aims to use the growing popularity of solar among Trump supporters, despite the former president’s past criticism of the technology.

Strategic Outreach to Conservative Voices

The memo, distributed earlier this month, outlines a campaign to engage figures like Katie Miller, a conservative influencer and wife of former Trump advisor Steven Miller, and others who can amplify the benefits of solar energy to conservative audiences. The ACP is partnering with right-leaning publications and media outlets to publish opinion pieces and that align solar energy with broader GOP economic and energy policies.

The campaign is based on recent polling data commissioned by the ACP, which showed strong support for solar power among Trump’s base. The data, collected in December, highlights that solar energy is increasingly viewed as a viable and necessary component of America’s energy future, even among conservative voters.

‘As part of the campaign, ACP is working with a series of conservative influencers to secure opinion media placements authored by conservative columnists, former Republican lawmakers, and other credible Republican voices in conservative outlets,’ the memo states.

Solar Power and the GOP Economic Vision

The push for solar energy aligns with Trump’s broader economic agenda, which emphasizes domestic manufacturing and reducing energy costs. With the rising cost of electricity and the construction of new data centers that consume vast amounts of power, the campaign aims to frame solar as a solution to affordability and energy independence.

Katie Miller, a former aide to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, has been actively promoting solar energy on social media, noting that solar is now the dominant source of new U.S. power capacity and is on track to surpass coal in total installed capacity before the end of 2026. However, she has denied any with the ACP or the ‘American Energy First’ campaign.

‘I do not have a with them,’ Miller said in a statement. ACP has not commented on whether it financially supports or collaborates with Miller.

Renewable Energy and Political Realities

The ACP’s efforts to align with conservative voices come as the GOP faces increasing pressure to address rising energy costs and voter concerns about affordability. With residential electricity prices 6 percent higher nationally in December compared to the previous year, the campaign aims to position solar as a pragmatic solution that can deliver immediate benefits.

‘Not, ‘What nuclear reactor are you going to build for me 15 years from now?’ What are you going to do for me today?’ said Heather Reams, CEO of the conservative energy group Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. ‘That’s where solar has its hand up, saying, ‘We’re ready to go right now.’

Deployment of solar power has accelerated rapidly over the past two decades, with costs plummeting and the technology expected to supply 10 percent of U.S. electricity by 2027, even as federal subsidies for solar wane and import tariffs raise equipment costs.

The ACP’s strategy reflects a broader shift in how renewable energy is being framed in political discourse. While the group has long sought to appeal to Republicans, the memo indicates a more focused effort to engage with Trump allies and use the administration’s potential openness to solar energy.

‘It is, to some extent, creating a permission structure to not be perceived as getting in the way of this,’ said Mike Carr, executive director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers of America Coalition. ‘That this is actually market forces that are pushing solar, and to make sure that he’s not perceived as getting in the way of that and therefore driving up electricity prices.’

Recent polling from Conway’s consulting firm found that three-quarters of Trump voters agree that solar energy should be used to strengthen and increase the domestic energy supply, with 62 percent of Trump voters holding a favorable view of solar energy. The poll surveyed voters in five states that voted for Trump in 2024: Indiana, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Arizona.

The publicity push for solar energy comes amid early signs of a potential Trump administration thaw on the sector. Interior Department officials have begun reviewing 20 commercial-scale solar projects, a potential relaxation of a policy issued in July that required Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s OK for all solar and wind permits.

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo of Nevada has privately urged the Trump administration to clear logjams for solar projects in his state, according to reports. This follows the Bureau of Land Management’s decision in December to streamline the path for the 700-megawatt Libra Project on federal land in Nevada.

Democrats and environmentalists have criticized Republicans for scrapping solar and wind incentives, arguing that these moves are contributing to higher energy prices. Conservatives, however, have emphasized the need to distinguish between the kind of solar they support and the broader renewable energy policies that were included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

‘They don’t like mandates,’ said Conway, referring to the Trump administration’s stance on solar subsidies. ‘Solar is a piece of that. I think Secretary [Chr…’