Will we ever slash our emissions? There are good reasons to be hopeful.

Written by: Samuel Lavine

This summer, we have witnessed another round of extreme climate events. From catastrophic wildfires to record-breaking ocean temperatures, many wonder if we will drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Given the lousy climate news, it may be surprising that a global transition to renewable energy is moving fast, particularly in the United States.

The Republican Party has been one of the biggest obstacles to global climate action. Even acknowledging the existence of climate change remains a partisan statement. Many conservative ideological leaders, including former President Donald Trump and current congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, describe climate change as a liberal hoax. Renewable energy has the most significant potential in rural communities, typically dominated by conservative politics. This political reality has served as a massive obstacle to clean energy production.

But reality is constantly changing.

The levelized cost of energy for solar and wind energy production has been decreasing for decades. As a result, it now makes simple fiscal sense for these rural, conservative communities to develop clean energy. Politicians may lie, but numbers do not. Iowa and South Dakota voted for Trump by substantial margins, but now each draws over 50% of their energy from wind power. This has created jobs, increased energy reliability, and generated profits. Similar patterns are seen across the country. In Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district, a solar panel manufacturing company has created thousands of jobs, leading her to pivot from her fervent climate denialism to endorse clean energy.

In the past two years, the federal government has approved hundreds of billions of dollars to build more clean energy. This includes creating more clean energy production facilities, research and development, and transmission lines. There are growing hopes that this momentum will rapidly grow America’s clean energy industry and topple remaining climate denialism.