The United States has long stood as a global leader in technology, innovation, and economic strength. But today, we face a sobering reality: we are losing ground to China in the tech race. One of the biggest reasons isn’t simply about innovation in Silicon Valley or defense spending in Washington. It’s about energy.
The ability to power growth quickly, reliably, and at scale is the backbone of any nation’s technological progress and economic competitiveness. China understands this, and they are acting with urgency. In just the first half of 2025, China’s booming clean energy sector met all of the country’s new power demand, allowing fossil fuel use to fall for the first time in decades. Gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar are being added to their grid at record speed, with more than 230 GW of new solar and wind capacity installed in 2024 alone. Meanwhile, here in the United States, we’re waiting 4-6 years, at best, for new gas plants to come online while we actively harm our clean energy industry. If America wants to compete, clean energy can’t be an afterthought, it must be a part of the plan.
We often hear talk about “energy dominance” in the U.S., but too often that conversation is narrowly focused on fossil fuels. Clean energy projects are faster to deploy, cheaper over time, and come with no ongoing fuel costs. Clean energy provides what our economy desperately needs: abundant, low-cost, scalable energy to power the industries of tomorrow.
I hear critics sometimes dismiss renewables as unreliable or “weaker” than traditional power. But electrons are electrons, whether they come from a coal plant or a solar farm. And battery storage is scaling across the country, most notably in Texas. Transmission lines don’t care where energy comes from, and neither should our policymakers. The difference between clean energy and fossil fuels isn’t about strength– it’s about cost, speed, and long-term security. China’s government has recognized this, which is why it is pursuing an all-of-the-above strategy: investing in renewables, nuclear, and even advanced fossil technologies, ensuring energy security while ramping up innovation. China now produces about 80 percent of the world’s solar panels and 60 percent of its wind turbines, giving them a commanding lead in both manufacturing and deployment.
The stakes have grown larger than energy bills. This is about national security. As experts have argued, renewable energy reduces our dependence on unstable fuel markets, strengthens supply chains, and insulates us from geopolitical shocks. The U.S. military identified energy dependence as a “threat multiplier”, meaning our reliance on slow, expensive fossil fuel buildouts makes us more vulnerable. Ukraine has demonstrated this as well: in June 2024, its Cabinet of Ministers approved a strategy to increase renewable energy to 27% of total generation by 2030, up from the current 10%. This push is not only about sustainability but survival. Clean energy has helped Ukraine reduce dependence on foreign-owned fossil fuels, strengthening its resilience even in the midst of war.
We are at a crossroads. China is proving that rapid deployment of clean energy is not just possible, but essential for powering modern growth. If the U.S. continues to stall, relying on only gas projects that take years to materialize, we will fall further behind in the race that will define the century. America has the resources, the technology, and the talent to lead, but only if we embrace an approach that prioritizes clean energy.
Electrons aren’t red or blue. They aren’t liberal or conservative. They are the building blocks of the future. The question is whether America will seize this moment.
