Backing the Wrong Horse in the Energy Race

Dear Editor,

On yet another front, the US and China are racing in opposite directions; this time, it is energy. How will we light up our homes and workplaces, or fuel our cars and devices, as we move into the future?

The US is predictably betting on a fossil-fueled future; the International Energy Agency predicts that US export of liquified natural gas (LNG) is set to rise 50% by 2030. Meanwhile, China has enough solar panel production capacity to meet the world's supply through 2030. This is a zero sum game - energy supplied by one source will not be supplied by the other. Which country is backing the right horse?

Writers of a recent Semafor News editorial think solar is the way to go. Solar panels are faster to deploy and scale compared to LNG terminals, and power is typically generated and used locally; this gives it a strong advantage in many developing countries. Solar makes economic sense as well; it is already much more costly to run a power plant fueled by LNG than to generate electricity with solar.

The US will continue to use its oil and gas dominance as a brute force tactic to influence foreign policy for as long as it can; but this strategy seems doomed to fail. Here's to hoping it does- the faster we can move to a cleaner renewable future, the better off we'll all be.

Sincerely,

Nathan Dombeck

Janesville, WI