The Winds of Change are Stiffening
By Kathleen Biggins
At a time when caring for the climate seems downright quaint and out of date, when the drumbeat of climate denial sounds steadily and loudly, when federal policy is squashing and delaying renewable energy projects, it may seem incongruous to herald that progress is being made. But when we consider the big picture, the winds of change are stiffening. Let’s take a closer look at some positive trends at home and abroad.
Demographics are changing. Younger Republicans are substantially more concerned about climate change than their parents and grandparents. They also support fossil fuels less and support clean energy more. As younger voters become a larger share of the electorate, today’s partisan divide on climate change is unlikely to remain as stark as it is today.
Political backlash is growing against high electricity costs – and renewables can help. Artificial intelligence and data centers are dramatically increasing electricity demand, driving up costs and leading to political fallout in both conservative and liberal areas. We simply can’t meet the demand without new power generation.
In the near-term, reliance on natural gas, historically the primary electricity source in the U.S., is expected to increase – especially at off-the-grid power generators at data center sites. But it is significantly hampered by delays and cost: new gas-fired plants now take five to seven years to come online and are three times more expensive to build than a decade ago due to supply chain and workforce shortages. In addition, fuel prices are expected to rise significantly as we export more liquefied natural gas onto the global market and due to geopolitical disruptions.
At the same time, we have an enormous backlog of cheaper clean-energy projects waiting in our transmission queue. Approximately 95% of all sidelined capacity consists of wind, solar, and battery storage – roughly 2.6 terawatts of potential generation, and more than twice the generating capacity of our current U.S. grid. Harnessing this clean energy is the quickest and cheapest way to add capacity to our grid.
Clean energy is now the cheapest energy. Wind and solar are now the lowest-cost sources of new electricity generation in almost all of the United States and around the world. Conservative states such as Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas generate at least half of their electricity from wind while maintaining some of the nation’s lowest electricity prices. Texas, long identified with oil and gas, has become one of the world’s renewable energy leaders, generating more than one-third of its electricity from wind, solar, and battery storage. Those resources have significantly reduced wholesale electricity costs and improved grid reliability while providing billions of dollars in income to rural landowners and local communities.
These energy savings are getting too big to ignore. The world saved $480B last year by using more renewable energy instead of burning fossil fuels. And these savings are not one-and-done; sunbeams and wind currents are “free,” so renewable generation will continue to displace fossil fuels and provide savings in future years.
Climate change is no longer an abstract discussion. In the 1980s, the U.S. experienced $1B weather and climate disasters three times a year – we are now averaging roughly one every two weeks. Unsurprisingly, a large majority of Americans report experiencing an extreme weather event during the past year. Research also suggests that people who experience these events are more likely to recognize the role climate change plays in making many of these disasters more frequent or more severe.
Cleantech is getting more politically savvy. Many Republican lawmakers privately acknowledge the scientific consensus on climate change, yet have faced strong political incentives to avoid publicly embracing climate policy. Following the successful playbook of fossil fuel companies, many cleantech leaders are increasingly investing in relationships across the political spectrum, working to make clean-energy innovation a “purple” issue versus a “progressive” one.
Clean energy is taking the high ground. Another longstanding criticism – that pursuing clean energy condemns poorer communities to “energy poverty” – is steadily losing credibility.
Across Africa and other developing regions, distributed solar power is bringing electricity to communities that otherwise might wait decades for centralized transmission infrastructure. Instead of relying on imported fossil fuels with volatile prices, families gain access to affordable, locally generated electricity. In fact, Africa – where the vast majority of people without energy access live – is becoming one of the fastest-growing renewable markets.
The same principle applies in the United States. Wind and solar development is creating new income streams for farmers, ranchers, and economically struggling rural communities, particularly across states like Texas, as well as creating opportunities for lower future utility costs nationwide.
Other countries are moving quickly and benefiting from the transition. China and India continue to consume enormous quantities of fossil fuels as their economies expand, but last year both decreased fossil fuel electricity generation as they rapidly deployed renewable energy, batteries, and modern electric grids.
India, the world’s fastest growing economy and third-largest emitter, produced three times as much new clean energy than was needed to fully power that growth, allowing it to actually lower its emissions last year while its economy expanded.
And China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, last year installed half of all new global clean-energy capacity. These additions mean that, as of this year, China now has more generation capacity in renewables than in fossil fuels.
Worldwide, carbon intensity – the greenhouse gas emissions produced per unit of economic output – has continued to decline as clean energy expands. North America was a notable exception in 2025, with emissions and carbon intensity increasing, driven largely by surging electricity demand from AI infrastructure and increased fossil fuel generation in the United States. In fact, last year our increased demand exceeded our clean-energy additions – North American carbon emissions rose 3.2%, driven primarily by the U.S. and accounted for 47% of global emissions growth.
And so here we are. History is filled with moments when a determined minority delayed critically needed change. Current climate policy in the U.S. will likely be remembered as one of those moments. But the winds of change are strong, and this recent doubling down on fossil fuels and climate denial could be the last hurrah of a fading system fighting against an inevitable future.
Kathleen Biggins is Founder and President of C-Change Conversations.
