Asheville Solar Giant Collapses, Citing Policy Reversal Under Trump Administration

One of Western North Carolina’s leading clean energy employers, Pine Gate Renewables, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, confirming the immediate loss of over 223 jobs in Buncombe County. The company’s Asheville plant closure leads to laying off about 78% of its workforce. The collapse, and the earlier wind-down of its subsidiary Blue Ridge Power which shed over 500 jobs, is directly attributed to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed by President Donald Trump in July 2025.The Asheville-bas