Green Energy's Final Laugh — Thanks to Trump

The Unintended Consequences of a Fossil Fuel-Focused Policy

Donald Trump's actions in the Middle East have triggered what the International Energy Agency has called "the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market." This energy crisis is not something that can be easily spun or ignored, regardless of how much Trump, Fox News, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright may try to downplay it. The most significant outcome of this crisis is that it has unintentionally sparked a global race toward renewable energy.

This irony is striking: Trump, who has long criticized green energy as a "con job," is now driving its rapid expansion. The timing couldn't be better, as the costs of solar, wind, and battery storage have dropped dramatically over the past decade. Battery storage costs have fallen by 93% since 2010, solar photovoltaic (PV) costs have declined by 90%, and onshore wind costs have dropped by 70%. These reductions have made renewables the cheapest energy sources in history.

According to the Sierra Club, more than 85% of renewable energy sources now cost less than fossil fuel sources. With the conflict in Iran entering its third month, countries are scrambling to avoid the geopolitical tensions by accelerating their transition to renewables. Climate change is no longer the main focus; instead, the push for cleaner energy is framed as a matter of security and economics. Wind and solar energy, which can be produced entirely within national borders, offer protection against supply disruptions caused by wars. They also shield allies from future trade sabotage from a president determined to exact revenge.

A Retreat from Science and Facts

The Trump administration has taken a hard stance against science and factual information, leading to the near disappearance of climate data. The president has taken unprecedented steps to halt climate progress while supporting his fossil fuel donors. Over 1,500 scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency have been laid off, reassigned, or pressured to retire. Today, only 124 remain at the EPA, and none of them are assigned to climate science.

Fox News and billionaires pushing Project 2025’s agenda, such as those associated with Koch Industries, are financially aligned with big oil. However, Trump’s promise to fossil fuel donors that he would eliminate environmental regulations if they donated $1 billion to get him reelected is backfiring. It has led to a wave of schadenfreude around the world.

In late April, 60 nations representing over one-third of the world’s economic power met in Colombia to accelerate their shift away from fossil fuels, at least in part due to the effects of the Iran war. The summit, led by Colombia and the Netherlands, was organized outside normal United Nations channels to avoid bottlenecks often created by petrostates. Participants drafted individualized roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels, making unusual progress through relaxed question-and-answer sessions. The United States was not invited.

A Global Shift Toward Renewables

Other nations recognize the existential imperative to move beyond Trump’s destructive policies, confirming their commitment to action and securing a healthy future for their children. However, Trump remains obsessed with increasing America’s reliance on fossil fuels, regardless of the environmental and health costs or the impact on climate change. His attempts to promote coal are economically illiterate and embarrassing, as is his battle against wind energy. The rest of the world, however, has stopped listening.

Industrialized nations are now rushing toward renewable energy, reeling from the aftershocks of oil and gas price fluctuations caused by the Iran conflict. China’s President Xi Jinping has called for a rapid acceleration of a new energy system, emphasizing massive development in wind, solar, and hydropower to safeguard energy security. The European Union has drafted new plans to speed up clean energy deployment, focusing on solar, wind, and heat pumps to reduce dependence on imported fuels. Nuclear power is also being reconsidered as a "strategic stabilizer."

Saudi Arabia, despite being a major oil producer, has doubled its target to ensure 50% of its electricity generation comes from renewables by 2030. Egypt is planning to transition its electricity supply, which is currently only 10% renewable, to 45% in just two years. South Korea has committed to a goal of 100 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. India is focusing on rapid expansion in solar and wind to diversify its energy supply and reduce dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines are accelerating renewable projects with incentives, while private companies in Vietnam are abandoning liquefied natural gas projects in favor of renewables.

Chile is facilitating tax credits and support for electric vehicle (EV) adoption to reduce foreign-sourced fuel dependence. These developments should give everyone hope. Even if a ceasefire is announced tomorrow, analysts say the damage to the oil industry will last for years.

A New Era for Renewable Energy

Donald Trump, the champion of fossil fuels, has set the decline in motion. Fatih Birol, director of the International Energy Agency, told the Guardian that Trump’s actions in Iran have permanently damaged the industry. Foreign leaders have lost faith in fossil fuels, which will cause "a significant boost to renewables and nuclear power and a further shift towards a more electrified future," he said, adding that this will "cut into the main markets for oil."

As anti-science and anti-information nihilism spreads across the U.S., it is reassuring to know that other nations are not similarly afflicted. Idiocracy, it seems, is not contagious.