Trump targets FEMA: How solar batteries can fill the gaps in disaster recovery

The president wants to eliminate the federal disaster response agency, making home energy resilience more critical than ever.

Written by:
Edited by: Alix Langone
Updated Jun 20, 2025
4 min read
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Trump targets FEMA: How solar batteries can fill the gaps in disaster recovery
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President Trump said last week that he plans to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—responsible for coordinating federal responses to natural disasters—starting in December. Already, FEMA has lost about a quarter of its full-time staff, including several senior officials, since the start of Trump’s second term. 

“We want to wean off of FEMA and we want to bring it down to the state level,” the president said last week during a news briefing. “The governor should be able to handle it. Frankly, if they can’t handle it—the aftermath—then maybe they shouldn’t be governor.”

The abrupt downsizing of FEMA demonstrates why it’s more and more important for Americans to generate their own power, especially during emergencies. The Trump administration’s plans to further “phase out” FEMA come just as an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season is about to hit, leaving millions of Americans vulnerable to dangerous storms.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts 13 to 19 total named storms between June and November. 

“This outlook is a call to action: be prepared,” NOAA’s National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said. “Take proactive steps now to make a plan and gather supplies to ensure you're ready before a storm threatens." 

While the President can’t outright eliminate FEMA—that’s up to Congress—the staff cuts and subsequent resignations make it clear that the onus of preparedness is set to increasingly fall on states, local communities, utility companies, and individuals. For homeowners, energy storage offers resilience against weather-induced power outages.

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It’s unclear how the federal government will respond to this year’s storms and extreme weather events, but states reliant on federal disaster relief are already bracing for complicated recoveries due to the uncertainty of FEMA aid instilled by the Trump administration. 

“From cities to small towns, we all rely on [federal aid] in the state of Florida because the disasters have been so widespread,” Melissa Nelson, CEO of United Ways of Florida, told EnergySage. “FEMA offers all kinds of programs—including trainings that equip local government and enable community members to assist in recovery—that could all be impacted.”

A recently revealed March memo titled “Abolishing FEMA” sheds light on specific measures the Trump administration is considering to drastically limit the federal government’s role in disaster relief, including providing smaller amounts of aid for fewer natural disasters. 

“This means you should not expect to see FEMA on the ground unless it’s 9/11, Katrina, Superstorm Sandy,” former FEMA advisor Carrie Speranza told Bloomberg.

Looming federal cuts could reduce or delay disaster aid and shift more recovery responsibility to local governments and utility companies already strained for resources. 

“Last year, Hurricane Milton and Helene were within two weeks of each other, so it’s concerning not to know exactly what this season is going to look like, or what next year's season will look like,” Nelson said. “We will do what we can to recalibrate and determine the best path forward.”

With hurricane season already underway in the Southeast U.S., some communities may be left scrambling to pick up the slack. Homeowners with solar batteries may fare better than those without. 

The utility electric grid will be worse for wear

Today’s outdated grid infrastructure already struggles to keep up with demand across the U.S. and frequently fails during extreme weather events.

Without enough support from FEMA, utility companies will have to absorb a greater share of disaster response and grid restoration efforts when these storms hit—costs they’re likely to pass on to consumers through higher utility rates. Recovery timelines could stretch longer, especially in hard-hit areas and rural areas, leaving communities without power when they need it most.

That’s why investing in battery storage is becoming even more important: With more frequent and severe storms on the horizon, the strain on the grid will only grow.

At best, FEMA will continue to operate with reduced resources. At worst, Congress could give in to the President’s push to eliminate it altogether. In either case, solar batteries can help ease the growing burden on individuals to prepare for and recover from natural disasters. 

In an EnergySage survey conducted at the end of 2023, respondents shared their reasoning for installing solar batteries:

One lost power for five days during a hurricane, while another was left without heat for four days during a cold snap. Installing home solar panel and battery systems gave them the backup power necessary to keep essential devices such as refrigerators, lights, and medical devices on during unpredictable outages.

For this reason, along with the prospect of greater energy independence and lower electric bills, homeowners are increasingly adding battery storage to their home solar panel installations, according to EnergySage latest Intel’s Solar & Storage Marketplace Report.

FEMA isn’t the only program on the Trump administration’s chopping block. The GOP’s reconciliation bill aims to eliminate clean energy programs—namely, the 30% solar tax credit, which allows you to claim 30% of the total cost of your system’s installation on your taxes, and includes battery storage. Despite bipartisan Congressional support, residential clean energy tax credits are at serious risk of disappearing at the end of this year or early next year.

Right now, the Senate GOP has the solar tax credit sunsetting 180 after enactment. Just as disaster recovery will become more costly without FEMA, going solar will become significantly more expensive without these tax credits. In addition to protecting homes from grid failures and outages, installing solar and storage now could save homeowners thousands of dollars if the bill passes in its current form. If you wait, you may not be able to claim the existing 30% tax credit that will significantly lower your battery installation costs.

The “Big, Beautiful Bill” is still being marked up and debated, but the GOP hopes to send it to the President’s desk by the Fourth of July. While there is bipartisan backing in the Senate fighting to protect the solar tax credit and the jobs and manufacturing plants it supports, constituents can make their voices heard, too.

Personal stories and public pressure can shape policy. If you’re concerned about how gutting clean energy support would impact the economy, now is the time to act. Call or write your elected officials, or speak out on social media.

Go solar now so you can take advantage of the solar tax credit

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