The United States is losing in the global race to adopt renewable power as the Trump administration restricts renewable development while competitors expand solar power, batteries and advanced manufacturing.
The International Renewable Energy Agency says China added 315 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2025 — which is more than nine times the 34 gigawatts added in the United States. Global clean-technology investment reached a record $1.96 trillion. In early 2026, U.S. clean-energy and transportation investment fell 9% from a year earlier, to $61 billion, according to the Rhodium Group and MIT’s Clean Investment Monitor.
President Trump argues that wind and solar are intermittent, expensive, cancer-causing and dependent on Chinese-controlled supply chains. His administration favors natural gas, coal, nuclear power and geothermal energy, saying they offer dependable electricity and greater national security. The reliability concern is real: variable renewables require transmission, storage and dispatchable generation.
But the Trump administration is also spending federal money to suppress renewable development. It has agreed to spend nearly $2.6 billion buying back eight offshore-wind leases, with developers redirecting some investment toward fossil-fuel projects. Developers also canceled roughly $11 billion in previously announced clean-electricity and industrial projects during the first quarter of 2026.
The U.S. is not abandoning clean energy. Investment in clean-power production over the latest four quarters rose 29%, led by solar, storage and a major nuclear proposal. Yet clean-technology manufacturing investment has fallen for six consecutive quarters.
That matters because China controls about 85% of solar-manufacturing capacity and 80% of lithium-ion battery supply-chain production. Weakening America’s domestic market could deepen that dependence while surrendering jobs, innovation and export markets.
Renewables alone cannot guarantee grid reliability. But blocking fast-to-build sources as demand surges from data centers and factories could raise costs and delay new supply.
Guests:
Michael E. Webber is the Sid Richardson Chair in Public Affairs and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin / Columbia Climate School.
David M. Hart is a senior fellow for climate and energy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is also a professor emeritus of public policy at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government.
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This interview will be recorded live on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
