The goal for a majority-EV fleet is not viable with current technology. The material requirements for batteries and components are so vast that a US-only transition would consume every scrap of lithium, copper, graphite, and other key minerals produced globally, leaving none for any other country or industry.

From China's perspective, producing more than it needs and exporting at cutthroat prices is a strategic tool, not an economic problem. This form of industrial warfare is designed to weaken other nations' manufacturing bases, prioritizing geopolitical goals over profit.

While solar panels are inexpensive, the total system cost to achieve 100% reliable, 24/7 coverage is massive. These "hidden costs"—enormous battery storage, transmission build-outs, and grid complexity—make the final price of a full solution comparable to nuclear. This is why hyperscalers are actively pursuing nuclear for their data centers.

Palmer Luckey argues the global push for electric vehicles is a massive, potentially misguided bet. He points to the viability of creating cheap, synthetic hydrocarbon fuels which, if successful, would render current EV infrastructure investments a waste of time and money, especially for aviation.

While controversial, the boom in inexpensive natural gas from fracking has been a key driver of US emissions reduction. Natural gas has half the carbon content of coal, and its price advantage has systematically pushed coal out of the electricity generation market, yielding significant climate benefits.

Despite developing the world's cheapest solar power, China remains addicted to coal for political, not economic, reasons. Countless local governments in poorer regions depend entirely on coal mining for revenue and employment. This creates a powerful political inertia that the central government is unwilling or unable to overcome, prioritizing local stability and energy security over a complete green transition.

Beyond the well-known semiconductor race, the AI competition is shifting to energy. China's massive, cheaper electricity production is a significant, often overlooked strategic advantage. This redefines the AI landscape, suggesting that superiority in atoms (energy) may become as crucial as superiority in bytes (algorithms and chips).

Beyond environmental benefits, climate tech is crucial for national economic survival. Failing to innovate in green energy cedes economic dominance to countries like China. This positions climate investment as a matter of long-term financial and geopolitical future-proofing for the U.S. and Europe.

China is restricting exports of essential rare earth minerals and EV battery manufacturing equipment. This is a strategic move to protect its global dominance in these critical industries, leveraging the fact that other countries have outsourced environmentally harmful mining to them for decades.