Since the start of his second presidential term, Donald Trump has hindered the development of new clean energy projects and at the same time insisted to breathe new life into the coal industry. It is a movement that has said energy experts, is not logical for the climate or economy of the country.
A New report The International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA) adds even more evidence to that argument: renewable energy sources “continue to prove themselves as the most cost-competitive source of new electricity generation,” is the report; 91% of the renewable projects that were put into use worldwide in 2024 yielded power at a cheaper costs than new fossil fuels.
Electricity that is generated from solar energy is now 41% cheaper than the cheapest alternative to fossil fuels, and onshore wind is 53% cheaper. In 2024, renewable energy sources helped to prevent $ 467 billion in fossil fuel costs.
The IREA report coincides with a Report by the United Nations This emphasizes “the economic necessity and opportunities for” transition to clean energy. Renewable energy sources are cheaper, even if governments continue to subsidize fossil fuels: in 2023, governments spent $ 620 billion from subsidizing fossil fuel consumption compared to $ 70 billion for investments in clean energy. (That $ 70 billion includes subsidies and discounts for EVs, heat pumps and other efficiency improvements, which were a cornerstone of the inflation reduction Act.)
“They protect countries that stick to fossil fuels do not protect their economies,” said United Nations Secretary General António Guterres in a speech on Tuesday, pointing to both reports. “Driving up costs. Undermining the competitiveness. Locking in stranded assets. And missing the greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century.”
How the Trump administration insists on more fossil fuels
Only a few hours after his second term, Trump made the United States one of those countries, signing an executive order that explained an energy situation, referring to a need to stimulate the production of fossil fuels. (Energie experts have said that there is no such crisis and that increasing fossil fuels while limiting renewable energy sources such as wind will even harm the energy landscape of America.)
In February, another executive order created one National Energy Dominance Council Led by allies of fossil fuels. In March he gave an executive order to increase mining on public land. And in April, Trump signed four executive orders to breathe new life into coal – an industry that has long been in decline, whereby coal -fired power stations are close to the US because they are no longer profitable.
These orders opened new mining rental contracts, detached coal installation -emission standards and include the option for the Ministry of Energy to reopen Shuttered Coal Plants or force coal -fired power stations that would close to keep working. Trump has also accelerated the permit process for fossil fuels and has taken over from years to just a few days.
Recently, in July, Trump granted Two years of legal lighting To coal -fired power stations, as well as chemical manufacturers and other large polluters, so that they can meet earlier standards for environmental protection before the Biden administration. Coal plants can also postpone the efforts COOL ASThat contains poisonous metals such as lead and mercury. Trump already had exempt Dozens of coal plants from air pollution rules too.
Trump has repeatedly said that his support for coal and other fossil fuels is a way to strengthen the reliability and safety of the country’s energy letter. But experts have said that those movements will do that too Increase the utility programs For Americans, and that fossil fuels are actually less reliable and vulnerable to market disruptions. Oil and gas prices are set worldwide and can therefore be influenced by geopolitical unrest, such as when Russia invaded Ukraine and oil and gas prices.
On the other hand, “renewable energy sources are here to stay because they form the basis for energy security and sovereignty,” said Guternes. “Let’s be clear: the biggest threat to energy security today is in fossil fuels.”
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