President Trump’s Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who holds two degrees in engineering from MIT, is being criticized for saying that solar panels are “irrelevant in the winter.” Wright made the assertion this week at a press conference in the Oval Office, where Trump announced a $700 million investment in coal mining.
U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) responded: “Dear @SecretaryWright: Some deep questions for your deep thoughts: -Did you know the sun still shines during winter? -Did you know that solar panels rely on sunlight rather than warmth? In fact, solar panels can operate even more efficiently during the winter.”
Dear @SecretaryWright: Some deep questions for your deep thoughts:
-Did you know the sun still shines during winter?
-Did you know that solar panels rely on sunlight rather than warmth?
In fact, solar panels can operate even more efficiently during the winter. https://t.co/pXvWgpcU8U
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 4, 2026
Lieu’s statement aligns with the science. As SunRun, the solar panel company championed by Trump supporter Elon Musk (Tesla is a partner of SunRun), explains:
“Solar panels work in the snow. Even when covered in snow, solar panels can generate electricity. Sunlight still reaches solar panels through the snow and keeps solar cells producing energy in cold weather. Solar panels’ dark, reflective glass accelerates snow melt and slides off before it hampers performance.”
The company adds: “In fact, on cold, clear days, snow from the ground can reflect extra sunlight onto your solar panels like a mirror. This ‘albedo effect‘ enables panels to produce even more electricity in cold weather. So now you know—rain and snow can actually be great for your solar panels!”
The math is obvious and unequivocal:
~100% of energy over time comes from the Sun. Everything else is a rounding error. https://t.co/ctg9Bjvpyw
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2025
Musk, who has criticized the Trump administration for ending support for solar projects, wrote in July: “The math is obvious and unequivocal: ~100% of energy over time comes from the Sun. Everything else is a rounding error.”