My organization has examined the data that Trump misrepresented regarding China's energy landscape, and we aim to clarify the facts.
It is accurate that in 2023, China commissioned approximately 50 gigawatts (GW) of coal power, which translates to roughly one new 1-GW coal plant each week—nearly double the amount from 2021 and 2022. This surge is largely attributed to the disruptions in global supply chains and energy market volatility stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, the usage of China's coal plants has been stagnating at around 50%, meaning these facilities are just as likely to be idle as they are to be operational. The Chinese government seems to recognize that coal plants are not a wise investment, as approvals for new coal plants plummeted nearly 85% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
While China is indeed constructing new coal plants, the claim that "China doesn't do anything" for clean energy is categorically false. In fact, during the first nine months of 2024, China reportedly built around 195 GW of solar and wind capacity—almost four times the expected total of 43 GW in utility-scale solar and wind, along with 7 GW of residential solar in the U.S. for the entire year of 2024. Furthermore, two-thirds of the global utility-scale wind and solar projects currently under construction are located in China.
In summary, China is establishing around 20 solar and wind farms each week, and this trend is on the rise.
Global Leader in Clean Energy
China also leads in the manufacturing and sales of electric vehicles (EVs), supported by government investments in advanced battery technologies. The nation accounts for over half of the world's EVs, with sales now surpassing those of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, making its EV industry the largest globally.
Clearly, China stands at the forefront of clean energy development. An analysis by CarbonBrief estimates that China's focus on clean energy contributed significantly to its 5.2% GDP growth in 2023, adding $1.6 trillion to the economy.
Instead of learning from China's clean energy advancements, Trump opts for tariffs and a withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, impeding the U.S. from realizing its potential in this expanding sector. This leaves the Democrats to champion clean energy initiatives and international climate negotiations without Republican backing.
In 2022, the Biden Administration enacted the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the largest clean energy legislation in the U.S. to date, which incentivizes the production of clean technologies. Since its implementation, companies have announced over $110 billion in investments in clean energy manufacturing, creating an estimated 170,000 jobs and projected to generate over 1.5 million clean energy jobs over the next ten years.
A Model for the U.S.
The expansion of clean energy is anticipated to save Americans nearly $40 billion in reduced electricity costs by 2030, given that solar and wind power incur no fuel expenses. Increased adoption of clean energy will also diminish the U.S.'s vulnerability to fossil fuel price fluctuations, which contributed to about a third of the recent inflation.
Not a single Republican supported the IRA, and the party's threats of a filibuster limited the legislation to a budget reconciliation bill that offered only incentives for clean energy without imposing penalties on fossil fuels, such as a carbon price—despite compelling evidence that carbon emissions incur significant costs, including the rising frequency and severity of multi-billion-dollar natural disasters.
Republicans like Trump frequently cite China's ongoing support for underutilized coal plants as justification for maintaining reliance on fossil fuels. Should Trump be re-elected, he would likely withdraw the U.S. from the Paris agreement again, potentially setting a precedent for other nations to follow suit. However, Trump fails to acknowledge how China's commitment to clean energy is fostering a multi-trillion-dollar industry—one that both the U.S. and the world could emulate