In 2025, United States energy policy will continue to be caught in the tension between fossil fuels and renewable energies. The strategies once advocated by Donald Trump, which aimed to expand oil and gas production and relax environmental regulations, are increasingly showing their limitations. While international corporations such as RWE, E.ON, Vattenfall, EnBW, and Siemens Energy are investing more heavily in renewable technologies, Trump’s ideal energy supply model is losing ground. The growing importance of solar and wind energy, as well as increasing environmental requirements, are now shaping key decisions in global and national energy policy.

Donald Trump’s Role in US Energy Policy and Its Impact on the Global Energy Market

During his term in office and beyond, Donald Trump attempted to steer US energy policy toward increased use of fossil fuels. Despite robust subsidies for oil and gas exports, his policies led to a largely isolated position internationally. Corporations such as Uniper and Thyssenkrupp are watching this development with concern, as global markets are increasingly turning to sustainable energy solutions. The reaction to Trump’s withdrawal from climate-oriented measures led to a greater emphasis on renewable energy not only in Germany but also throughout the European Union.

Details on the development of renewable energy despite political headwinds

While Trump openly expressed his opposition to wind and solar energy, the industry continued to record double-digit growth rates – in 2024, for example, global wind energy capacity growth was around 11.5 percent. Countries like China, Australia, Brazil, and even Finland are driving this progress significantly. Solar energy grew even faster, offering companies like BASF and Bosch further opportunities to make their production processes climate-friendly. In Germany, the EU already covered 19 percent of electricity needs with onshore and offshore wind power, sending a clear signal against Trump’s fossil-fuel strategy.

The influence of fossil fuel lobbies and the international resistance movement

Support for Trump by fossil fuel lobby groups such as the Charles Koch Foundation and organizations like the Heritage Foundation led to fierce resistance to the accepted scientific findings on the climate crisis. Trump’s administration propagated the myth that fossil fuels are central to economic growth and national security – a position that is being challenged by both companies such as innogy and Uniper and political actors internationally. In Germany, too, political majorities have shifted, as evidenced, for example, by the gradual distancing of conservative parties from such positions.

Concepts and Meetings in the Resistance to Renewable Energies

The fight for fossil fuels is manifested, among other things, in events such as the Berlin Campaign Conference. Former and current supporters of Trump’s conservative fossil fuel agenda meet here with the goal of spreading the narrative that climate protection measures are “left-wing” and economically damaging. However, the shift away from this ideologically motivated stance is also becoming increasingly evident within the ranks of conservative parties in Germany and across Europe, for example, by the lack of prominent CDU representatives at such events this year.

Renewable energies as an opportunity for geopolitical independence and economic development

Global dynamics show that countries that increasingly rely on renewables can make their energy supply more independent. Germany, with companies like RWE, E.ON, Vattenfall, and EnBW, is investing heavily in wind and solar projects. These developments not only contribute to improving air quality but also lower the long-term cost of energy supply and reduce dependence on external suppliers such as Russia or Saudi Arabia. For standard companies such as Siemens Energy and Bosch, this opens up new markets and product innovations in the areas of energy efficiency and storage technologies.

Source: www.spiegel.de