Gas prices are displayed at an Exxon station ahead of the Memorial Day weekend in Great Neck, N.Y., May 22, 2026. (OSV News/Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)
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President Donald Trump loves fossil fuels and hates green energy, but one of his policies is encouraging the world to become greener.
As soon as he came into office for his second term, Trump launched a war on green energy. In particular, he attacked the Biden-era policies in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was more about green energy than inflation reduction.
On his first day in office in 2025, the president froze unspent grants and loans under the Inflation Reduction Act. His Energy Department went on to cancel $11 billion in contracts and projects.
Later that year, the president got the Republican Congress to repeal much of the Inflation Reduction Act in his "One Big Beautiful Bill." Pulled back was nearly $550 billion in funding for clean energy projects, as well as tax credits for electric vehicles, solar energy and wind projects.
Instead, Trump and his Congress added more fossil fuel incentives, including help for the coal industry.
He and his Congress also rolled back attempts to deal with waste emissions of methane gas, one of the most serious greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
Most recently, he has reduced energy-efficiency standards for American cars, which will reduce prices slightly in the short run but increase spending on gasoline in the long run.
American auto companies also benefit in the short run because they make more money selling large, expensive SUVs than fuel-efficient economy cars. In the long run, American companies will lose sales abroad, where people want fuel-efficient cars and electric vehicles. With gasoline prices skyrocketing, even Americans will want fuel-efficient cars and EVs.
At this rate, American car companies will become a boutique industry catering to the very rich if they do not go under in the next 10 years. China, on the other hand, has been transitioning to EVs and is now the world's leader in auto exports, even exceeding Japan.
In short, by ignoring economic reality and global warming, the Trump administration's policies have been a disaster for America and the Earth.
Trump's policies are irrational at a time when the country needs more energy, not less. But he is interested in only one kind of energy, that produced by fossil fuels.
Logically, a case could be made for leaving decisions about energy to the marketplace, but that would mean not only repealing green-energy subsidies and tax breaks but also those that benefit fossil fuels.
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In such a free-market scenario, green energy would do very well. Solar and wind energy are now cheaper than fossil fuels. New solar and wind production can be built faster and cheaper than oil, gas or nuclear facilities. And once built, green energy is cheaper and not subject to world events, which can increase oil and gas prices.
Opponents of green energy spout silly arguments like, "The sun doesn't always shine; the wind does not always blow," as if green engineers do not know this. That is why batteries are a key component to any green energy plan. Batteries have gotten better and cheaper in recent years, and the technology is constantly improving. Again, the Chinese are leaders in the production of batteries because American industry is so shortsighted.
Green energy doesn't have to be a partisan issue. Texas, a red state, produces more green energy than California, a blue state.
According to Inside Climate News, "Texas generated 169,442 gigawatt-hours from wind, utility-scale solar and small-scale solar in 2024, which is significantly more than the runner-up, California, which generated 92,316 gigawatt-hours from those resources." Iowa, another red state, is third.
Texas does well because regulators there demand that utilities compete on price rather than getting a guaranteed profit under state regulations.
Green energy produces not only cheaper energy but also more jobs. According to Climate Power, in Texas, green energy employed 261,934 workers in 2023, more than had jobs in the oil and gas industry. And wind and solar farms are helping Texas farmers and ranchers by providing steady incomes when their costs are going up and sales are going down.
But Trump did one thing that helped green energy significantly — he went to war with Iran.
Trump's war has raised world oil prices above $100 a barrel. Gasoline prices in the U.S. have gone up 40% to 50%. Diesel prices worldwide have soared, hurting farmers and shippers.
Nothing focuses the mind like higher prices.
Before the war, the world was gradually moving to green energy because it was cheaper. Now it is a stampede. Both economics and national security are impelling nations to embrace green energy. Only the United States is ignoring this reality.
If the United States had listened to economists, environmentalists and Pope Francis, we would be much better off today than we are. Instead, propaganda from the fossil fuel industry has poisoned our political discussions just as their fumes have poisoned our air. Their deep pockets have bought politicians, pseudo experts and influencers.
Despite the war in Iran, oil companies are making multibillion-dollar windfall profits by raising prices on consumers. Their contempt for the common good is a sinful disgrace. It is time for America to wake up and do what is best for our country and our planet.
