Trump’s claim that the US will benefit as a net oil exporter is nonsense. Yes, Exxon will benefit, but US consumers pay prices that are set globally—and that have risen substantially. Under such conditions, the US obviously should impose a windfall-profits tax. But that will not happen under an administration so thoroughly captured by the fossil-fuel industry.
By Joseph E. Stiglitz, writing for Project Syndicate is a Nobel laureate in economics and University Professor at Columbia University, is a former chief economist of the World Bank (1997-2000), former chair of the US President’s Council of Economic Advisers, former co-chair of the High-Level Commission on Carbon Prices, and lead author of the 1995 IPCC Climate Assessment.
Trump lies about the environment, about our climate, about wind power, and about China using wind turbines. He ignores or mocks the science.
In August 2025, Trump posted on Truth Social: “We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar… The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!!” He has directed the Interior Department to tighten permitting and has stated his administration will not approve new major solar (or wind) projects on federal lands or in ways that harm agriculture.
He has described renewables as “the scam of the century” and blamed states relying on them for record-high electricity prices. 👎
When comparing the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE)—which measures the total cost of building and operating a plant over its lifetime—renewables are consistently winning:
- Solar and Wind: New utility-scale solar and onshore wind are now roughly 50% cheaper than new coal or gas-fired power plants.
👍Your electric bill isn’t going up because of the energy source, but building and maintaining infrastructure- and that will continue.
In a UN speech, Trump called green energy “a joke” that “don’t work” and are “too expensive,” warning other nations they would fail economically if they pursued it over fossil fuels. He criticized massive solar arrays for taking farmland.
Europe generates about 30% of electric power from wind and solar and China about 25% and rising rapidly.
The latest federal data shows that the U.S. generates about 15–16% of its electricity from wind and about 6% from solar, for a combined total of roughly 21–22% of all U.S. electricity coming from wind and solar. U.S. Energy …
Why Trump opposes renewable? The simple answer is self-interest, politics and money…always money…and his ignorance.
Trump’s opposition to renewable energy stems from several interconnected ideological, economic, and political motivations:
Economic nationalism and fossil fuel loyalty Trump views coal, oil, and natural gas as foundational to American industrial identity and economic strength. He has long framed fossil fuels as synonymous with jobs, energy dominance, and national power — and renewables as a threat to that vision.
Skepticism of climate science Trump has repeatedly questioned or dismissed the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change, which undermines the core rationale for transitioning to renewables. He famously called climate change a “hoax” at various points.
Opposition to subsidies and mandates He frames wind and solar as industries that only survive because of government support, arguing this distorts the market. He favors what he calls “energy freedom” — letting fossil fuels compete without what he sees as unfair advantages given to renewables.
Hostility to the “Green New Deal” brand Much of his rhetoric targets renewable energy as part of a broader attack on progressive climate policy. Opposing renewables is politically useful for mobilizing his base against perceived left-wing overreach.
Aesthetic and local objections Trump has been unusually vocal — and personal — in his dislike of wind turbines specifically, calling them ugly, harmful to birds, and bad for property values (he famously fought a wind farm near his Scottish golf course).
Donor and constituency ties The fossil fuel industry has been a significant source of political support for Trump and the Republican Party broadly, creating alignment of interest.
I must admit I don’t like the visual pollution of solar and wind, but I accept it as necessary until something better comes along.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 