The virtue signaling myth of ‘green’ energy

The term “green” has been weaponized as a branding tool to push a radical energy transition that is anything but clean, sustainable, or just. Former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm recently wrote in the New York Times about America’s so-called “green” economy, touting government-subsidized battery and solar plants as a new industrial renaissance. But what she fails to mention is that this vision of a “clean” future is built on exploitation, environmental destruction, and economic instability.

Take cobalt, a key mineral in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage. The Democratic Republic of the Congo produces over 70% of the world’s cobalt, much of it extracted in dangerous, inhumane conditions. Thousands of children labor in hazardous mines, inhaling toxic dust and risking deadly cave-ins, all so Western countries can feel virtuous driving electric vehicles. How is that “green”?

Lithium, another essential battery component, is no better. Extracting it requires massive amounts of water, depleting scarce resources in places such as Chile’s Atacama Desert, leaving behind toxic waste. Solar panels, which rely on polysilicon largely produced in China, are often manufactured in coal-heavy regions, negating much of their purported climate benefits. And wind turbines? Their blades, made from fiberglass, cannot be recycled and end up in landfills, while their production depends on rare earth elements mined in devastating conditions.

Granholm decries the loss of American manufacturing dominance while promoting policies that deepen our dependence on foreign adversaries. The so-called “green economy” is a Trojan horse that hands economic and geopolitical leverage to China, which dominates the global supply chain for solar panels, batteries, and critical minerals.

Ironically, the same policymakers who decry foreign interference in our economy are eager to dismantle our greatest energy advantage: fossil fuels. America possesses some of the world’s largest reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas — resources that have powered our economic growth and provided energy security. Yet, the Biden administration’s relentless war on domestic energy production threatened our prosperity while enriching our competitors.

Advocates of so-called “green” energy claim we can replace fossil fuels with wind and solar, but reality paints a different picture. Unlike coal, natural gas, or nuclear power, which provide reliable, 24/7 energy, wind and solar depend on the weather. No sun? No power. No wind? No power. It’s an unreliable system that fails precisely when we need energy the most: during extreme weather events.

The consequences of this reckless transition are already evident. California, a poster child for aggressive renewable mandates, suffers from rolling blackouts and skyrocketing electricity rates. Meanwhile, Europe, after shuttering coal plants in favor of renewables, is scrambling to restart them as energy shortages loom. The lesson is clear: Abandoning reliable energy sources in favor of intermittent renewables is a recipe for disaster.

Instead of chasing the illusion of a “green” utopia, we should embrace an energy strategy that prioritizes reliability, affordability, and national security. That means unleashing America’s vast energy resources — coal, natural gas, and nuclear — while investing in realistic, market-driven innovation rather than forcing unreliable technologies through government mandates and taxpayer-funded subsidies.

Rather than outsourcing our energy future to China, we should strengthen domestic mining, refining, and manufacturing to ensure American energy independence. Instead of demonizing fossil fuels, we should recognize the indispensable role they play in modern life — from fueling our transportation to producing the fertilizers that sustain global agriculture.

The American energy sector is the solution — to ending poverty, fostering global economic prosperity, and ensuring environmental leadership. Our nation has led the world in reducing pollution and is number one in access to clean and safe water. The real path to sustainability isn’t through virtue-signaling policies that dismantle reliable energy infrastructure but through pragmatic solutions that balance economic growth with environmental stewardship.

This is precisely the kind of leadership America needs, and with Trump now in office, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright understands this reality better than most. Wright, a staunch advocate for energy realism, has long emphasized that energy poverty is just poverty by another name. He recognizes that affordable, reliable energy is the foundation for lifting millions out of destitution around the world.

It’s time to dismantle the misuse of the word “green.” The current agenda is not about clean energy; it’s about control — control over industry, control over resources, and control over the American way of life. True energy progress isn’t built on empty slogans. It’s built on hard facts, economic pragmatism, and a commitment to American prosperity.

Let’s stop pretending these policies are “green” when they make us weaker, poorer, and more dependent on foreign adversaries. Instead, let’s champion a truly sustainable energy strategy: one that puts American workers, American energy, and American security first.

Originally published in The Washington Examiner, February 14, 2025