The Washington Post: U.S. Clean Energy Policy Reversal, China's AI Surprises Gains

The Washington Post reported on July 4 that the "Big and Beautiful Act" pushed by the Trump administration has officially taken effect, with Republicans successfully cutting billions of dollars in clean energy subsidies, unexpectedly giving China's artificial intelligence industry a competitive advantage. The bill terminated utility-scale solar, wind, and electric vehicle tax credits, and banned companies with ties to China from obtaining battery storage subsidies. At the same time, China is expanding its energy capacity at an astonishing speed - in the first five months of 2025, China added 46 gigawatts of wind power and 198 gigawatts of solar power, totaling more than four times the total new energy capacity added in the United States in 2024, laying the foundation for AI data centers with rapidly increasing electricity demand.

The CEO of U.S. clean energy developer Eolian, Aaron Zubaty, said outrightly: "European peers generally believe that it is no longer in doubt who will dominate AI in the next decade, and it will not be the United States. Now, the AI competition depends on who can provide the most power, and the bill consolidates China's advantage." Data shows that 81% of the new power capacity added in the United States in 2024 came from solar plus energy storage systems, but the new act will significantly cut this proportion. Research institution "Energy Innovation" predicts that this move will lead to a 50% increase in wholesale electricity prices in the United States by 2035, and the loss of 830,000 renewable energy jobs by 2030, with annual consumer energy expenses increasing by over $16 billion. The share of electricity in China's final consumption has already reached 30%, leading the U.S. and Europe's 22%, and becoming the world's first "power country". However, the U.S. grid faces serious challenges - it needs to add power capacity equivalent to the sum of California, Texas, and New York State by 2035. Jason Bordoff, director of the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, warned: "If the United States cannot expand its grid, companies will be forced to move to energy-rich regions such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which is not in the interest of U.S. national security."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836754909917641/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.