This column, published bi-weekly on Mondays, aims to address current world affairs with an eye toward the interest of Kentuckians. To keep the column grounded in Kentucky, please send me your comments or questions: jose.e.mora.torres@gmail.com.

The United States’ absence from a recent key climate conference in Brazil raises an important question: Does the US still have a national interest in renewable energy?

The 30th annual Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, aka COP30, recently concluded in Belém, Brazil. The meeting focused on global challenges related to climate change, including the role of renewable energy.

Because of partisan disagreements at home, US participation in these conferences has varied. Most recently, the United States formally withdrew from the treaty on January 20, 2025. Whether or not one agrees with that decision, it is fair to ask: Does stepping away from these discussions serve US long-term national interests? And, is reducing investment in renewable energy consistent with the nation’s strategic goals?

What is the 'national interest'?

At its core, the national interest is about protecting the safety, prosperity, and well-being of a country’s citizens, its territory, and its constitutional system. It involves the strategic use of political, economic, and military tools to guard against external threats and shape a favorable global environment.

Today’s US administration frames this through an “America First” lens, prioritizing domestic security, economic growth, and great-power competition, especially with China. According to the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, all policy goals must make the country safer, stronger, and more prosperous, with domestic job creation and energy independence treated as top priorities. Investments are expected not only to strengthen the US economy but also to advance American interests in its competition with China.

However, stepping back from renewable-energy development, and removing the US from key global climate forums, risks undermining those very goals.

Renewables are key to competitiveness

Global energy production is rapidly changing. In 2024, the world generated nearly 31 terawatt-hours of electricity, double the amount produced in 2000, according to a report. Fossil fuels still make up the largest share, but their portion has fallen from 81% to about 59% over the last 25 years. During that same period, renewables have grown from 19% to roughly 39%.

This shift is not happening because the world is producing less energy from fossil fuels – in fact, production keeps rising – but because China has massively expanded renewable capacity, driving down costs through technological innovation and manufacturing scale.

While some critics argue the double-down on fossil fuels threatens traditional US industries, some major US energy companies are increasingly investing in renewables, recognizing that the global market is moving in that direction.

A historical comparison may help. In 1859, oil was discovered in Pennsylvania. At the time, whale oil dominated the lighting and lubricant market, and the US controlled 81% of the world’s whaling fleet. But new technology made petroleum and coal cheaper and more efficient. The national government supported innovation, and the energy economy shifted. Trying to “protect” the whaling industry would not have saved it. Technology and markets had already moved on.

Something similar is happening today. While oil, coal, and gas remain abundant, technological progress in renewables is accelerating worldwide. China currently leads in renewable-energy manufacturing and deployment, according to one report.

If the US steps aside from global forums and decision-making, it leaves China to shape the rules, markets, and standards unopposed. Even for pragmatic reasons alone, we would benefit from showing up, competing and participating.

Impact on Kentucky

Kentucky has long relied on coal for jobs and energy. Until the 1990s, coal represented a major part of the state’s economy. But health and safety concerns, wage pressures, environmental rules, technological advances in energy production, and politics, transformed the industry.

Despite the continued need for fossil fuels and energy, coal-mining jobs have fallen dramatically, from about 29,000 workers a few decades ago to roughly 4,000 today. At the same time, renewable energy and technology jobs in Kentucky increased to an estimated 37,000 in 2023, more than replacing the losses from coal’s decline. This mirrors a nationwide pattern: as the energy sector evolves, job growth increasingly comes from new technologies, not old ones. 

Regardless of political views, the market trend is clear. Renewable energy is expanding, costs are dropping, and global demand is rising. To meet our stated security goals, the US needs to expand production in all forms of energy and reassert its global presence and participation. It also needs to embrace the new technological frontier. For both Kentucky and the nation, avoiding this transition runs counter to long-term US national interests.

José E. Mora, PhD, is the former Professor and Chair of Global Affairs of the American University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. He currently resides in Berea with his wife, and four adult children.

All opinions expressed in 'What in the World?' are strictly those of Mora, and do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Edge on topics covered.

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