· 3 min read
illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: The U.S. is rapidly losing ground to China in the global clean-energy race, as President Donald Trump’s administration accelerates its pivot back to fossil fuels
• Key projects like Amprius Technologies' planned battery factory in Colorado have been cancelled amid rising uncertainty around Trump’s proposed tax bill, which aims to strip incentives for renewables
• The withdrawal underscores a broader pullback by clean-energy investors in the U.S., even as China expands aggressively into green manufacturing and infrastructure
🔭 The context: During the Biden administration, the U.S. passed landmark legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act to catalyze domestic clean-energy production and reduce reliance on fossil fuels
• However, under Trump’s renewed leadership, these policies are being rolled back
• In contrast, China has deepened its investments in solar, wind, EVs, and energy storage—controlling a dominant share of global supply chains
• With Washington reducing subsidies and policy support, clean-tech firms are reconsidering U.S. expansion plans
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The divergence in policy signals between the U.S. and China could reshape global climate progress
• As the U.S. pulls back, China is poised to set the pace for green industrialization—potentially locking in technological and trade advantages for decades
• Reduced American competitiveness in clean energy also threatens the global climate finance architecture and risks slowing collective decarbonization momentum
⏭️ What's next: Trump’s tax legislation is expected to pass narrowly, potentially eliminating clean-energy credits and reinforcing oil and gas development
• Industry analysts predict an exodus of clean-tech capital from the U.S. unless states step in with their own incentives
• China will continue to scale exports of EVs, solar panels, and grid infrastructure, deepening global reliance on its green supply chains. The geopolitical gap in climate leadership is likely to widen ahead of COP30
💬 One quote: “It was supposed to power the future,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis of the abandoned battery plant. “Instead, it’s now a symbol of what we’re giving up”
📈 One stat: China now produces over 80% of the world’s solar panels and nearly 75% of global lithium-ion batteries, according to the International Energy Agency
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