Podcast

Can the U.S. Win the Clean Energy Race Against China?

Published on January 6, 2025

Over the past decade, China has emerged as a powerhouse here, producing  the majority of key clean energy technologies. What does this mean for the United States, and for the race towards net zero emissions? In this episode, Sophia Besch and Fellow Milo McBride talk about the strategies the U.S. could deploy to better compete in the clean energy revolution. They unpack how innovative technologies could not only help close the clean energy gap with China but also redefine America’s role in the global energy landscape. They also explore how the incoming Trump administration might approach the U.S.-China race for clean energy dominance—and what all of this means for American allies abroad.

Notes: 

  1. Milo McBride, "Catching Up or Leaping Ahead? How Energy Innovation Can Secure U.S. Industrial Stature in a Net-Zero World," Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, September 19, 2024.
  2. Jonas Nahm, Collaborative Advantage: Forging Green Industries in the New Global Economy (Oxford University Press, 2021).
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.