Executive Director Bret Manley in the Washington Examiner on how Green Energy can succeed under President Trump.
Practical Steps for Green Energy to Succeed Under Trump | RealClearMarkets
The green energy movement has a clear path to success under the next administration, but it requires pragmatism and collaboration. Instead of treating Trump as an adversary, advocates should recognize the opportunity to align their goals with his administration’s priorities—advancing innovation, bolstering American manufacturing, and safeguarding national security.
The waning days of the Biden administration have been marked by efforts to “Trump-proof” its political priorities. From selling off portions of the border wall to guaranteeing telework for government workers to banning oil and gas drilling in federal waters, it’s clear that the left wants their policies to survive Trump’s second term.
Whether or not President Trump will—or even can—reverse these decisions remains to be seen, but the key question is how the green energy movement can collaborate with Trump to capitalize upon his ideological orientation and policy preferences. Here are four practical steps for it to be America First without compromising its core beliefs.
1. Stop Pretending The Inflation Reduction Act Doesn’t Have Flaws
Despite the media hyperventilating every time Trump mentions the word “tariff,” the Biden administration largely kept in place, and in some cases actually expanded, tariffs that Trump instituted. For example, this past December, the Biden administration announced a 50% increase on tariffs for solar polysilicon and wafers imported from China. This a tacit admission of a major failing of the IRA: subsidies for solar production ensured that module manufacturing would depend heavily on cheap foreign imports for key components. Look no further than politically connected Qcells’ recent decision to cancel its plans for a new U.S.-based polysilicon facility.
These tariffs will have minimal impact, but the underlying argument behind them is consistent with Trump’s desire to bring manufacturing to America. The media is intent on hyping the expansion of U.S. panel manufacturing, but it’s missing the underlying problem that America is still reliant on cheap foreign imports. If we are serious about having a permanent solar energy market in the United States, green energy advocates should lobby Congress and the next administration to adjust tax incentives to incentivize upstream manufacturing and in turn expand the domestic solar supply chain.
2. Stop Looking The Other Way On Human Rights
Most Chinese polysilicon and wafers enter the United States in the form of finished solar cells and modules. Because of China’s reliance on Uyghur forced labor, American producers cannot compete on cost. The Trump administration’s most powerful instrument will be the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), the author of that bill—and very likely the next Secretary of State—has rightfully been a frequent critic of the Biden administration for neglecting to enforce the law. Politically connected foreign producers have gotten a free pass to import solar cells and modules.
The issue extends beyond polysilicon, however. Nearly every smartphone, laptop, and electric vehicle relies on cobalt sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo—a nation plagued by severe human rights abuses—before being shipped to China for further refining. To promote the ethical development of green energy, advocates must demand that the Trump administration halt imports of all critical minerals and their downstream derivatives unless validated by CBP under the UFLPA supply chain standards.
3. Stop Throwing Good Taxpayer Money At Bad Technology
Not all green technologies are truly clean. Thin-film solar modules, which rely on the toxic elements cadmium and tellurium, pose a risk to groundwater, have a history of poor performance, and rely entirely on government subsidies. With regard to the latter, First Solar enjoyed tremendous ROI. It donated $2 million to President Biden in 2020 and was rewarded with billions in subsidies and the coveted “preferred supplier status” with the federal government.
Green energy advocates could acknowledge that not all green energy is truly clean, allowing Trump to justify cutting subsidies for thin-film solar panels while maintaining government support for investment in polysilicon-based technology.
4. Invoke The Defense Production Act
The incoming Trump administration is considering invoking the Defense Production Act to expedite oil and gas drilling and refill the strategic petroleum reserve. Green energy advocates should embrace it as the DPA could also be used to speed up the permitting process of hydro and solar projects. These projects have been persistently hampered by federal regulations.
The green energy movement has a clear path to success under the next administration, but it requires pragmatism and collaboration. Instead of treating Trump as an adversary, advocates should recognize the opportunity to align their goals with his administration’s priorities—advancing innovation, bolstering American manufacturing, and safeguarding national security.
Bret Manley is executive director of the Energy Fair Trade Coalition. He is a retired Naval Intelligence Officer and previously worked on Capitol Hill as chief of staff to a senior member of the Congressional Climate Solutions Caucus. Follow on X: @bretmanley