With the U.S stepping off the world stage on the matters of climate change and green energy due to bills passed by President Trump, other countries have happily stepped in to take the spotlight.
China has been a global leader in the matters of green energy for years, and has been pursuing a future without the dependence on fossil fuels. Their commitment to this green future has been reflected in their investments to green/renewable energy and their prowess in manufacturing green technology. Although China is a major contributor to producing the machinery needed to harvest green energy, there are some Southeast Asian countries that avoid trading with them due territorial tensions, and national security concerns. Countries such as the Philippines, on the other hand, have had to rely on China since Trump cut global climate finance. “The Chinese offer was so much lower than their European counterparts, so for us that was an awakening,” says Gerry P. Magbanua, president of Manila-based renewable power company Alternergy, in an article for the Washington Post. The Chinese market prices were already low before Trump took the stage, but his decision ultimately pushed other countries towards China.
As China is seeing an increase in customers from Southeast Asia, one of its top customers has just broken off to produce their own green energy machinery. India, one of China’s top customers when it comes to solar panels and electric batteries, has begun using government incentives to produce their own green technologies. Although India is still mostly dependent on fossil fuels, mainly coal, they have managed to produce around 80 gigawatts of solar modules. “Hoping to spur a clean energy manufacturing boom, the government is offering lucrative subsidies for locally produced solar cells and batteries, and it is restricting foreign products in its biggest renewable-energy projects,” writes Somini Sengupta in an article for The New York Times. Although India is trying to be less reliant on China, they still are importing the building materials from them since China monopolizes those crucial materials.
In another part of the world, Britain is having big changes in their electrical industry. Britain has finally begun to move away from coal plants to power plants that run on natural gases. The government is aiming to steer the country towards a greener future and change where they draw their energy from, but the price for that change is high. An article for the New York Times states, “The price tag for an electricity system that can handle such changes is around £40 billion a year from 2025 to 2030, according to the government. National Grid alone has filed documents with regulators to spend as much as £35 billion over five years.” Although an economy powered by electricity is desirable, there are going to be a few challenges when it comes to dealing with new factors like solar and wind energy.
