Energy World
Intensifying political, economic, and technological competition are colliding with an evolving global energy system shaped by emerging technologies and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to slow climate change. At the same time, soaring domestic oil and natural gas production, booming AI-driven electricity consumption, tensions in other energy-producing regions, and demand for critical minerals and other energy-related commodities are powerfully affecting American national security, U.S. competitiveness, relations with key allies, and global energy markets. Energy World covers the implications of these developments in one of the most strategic—and most complex—economic sectors.
The Center for the National Interest gratefully acknowledges support from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power for The National Interest’s Energy World blog. The National Interest’s editors retain sole control over Energy World’s content.
Trump’s “Energy Dominance,” in Practice, is Self-Contradictory
Energy dominance, though a laudable goal, is problematic at a time when OPEC+ seems to be trying to shoehorn its own volumes into the market. These are not good times...
Stories from Energy World
Decarbonization in the Crossfire: Europe Between Trump and Beijing
As President Donald Trump continues to enact his “America First” policies, Europe finds itself caught between Trump and Beijing. The return of Donald Trump to the White House has surprised...
The Geopolitics of Lithium in 2025
As China and Russia expand their lithium influence, the United States must rethink its policies to remain competitive in 2025. The new U.S. administration must rethink its entire lithium policy...
Trump’s Fossil Fuel Agenda Hands the Future of Energy—and U.S. Competitiveness—to Beijing
China’s nuclear breakthroughs could cement its dominance while the United States clings to fossil fuels. On the same day President Donald Trump pledged to “drill, baby, drill” in his inaugural address, China’s...
Nuclear Power and the Future of American Digital Dominance
The path forward for American digital dominance requires recognizing nuclear power for what it is: a strategic asset that combines technological, diplomatic, and environmental advantages. America’s digital supremacy rests on...
Pumping Up America’s Nuclear Power Politics
As America’s nuclear power politics falls by the wayside, China and Russia could soon dominate the global nuclear power market. President Trump dove into his new duties by declaring a...
Achieving Critical Mass: Trump Administration Policies that Would Strengthen Nuclear Energy
A second Trump administration has the opportunity to cement nuclear energy as a pillar of U.S. energy dominance and global competitiveness. In his first term, President Donald Trump strongly supported nuclear energy...
National Energy Emergency and Climate Change
Despite President Trump’s national energy emergency, the grand experiment of global climate change will proceed apace with the human race, not looking in from the outside, but with itself inside...
Why the Paris Agreement Failed
“After realizing why the Paris Agreement failed, a climate hawk promise to simply try for a third time to participate in the Paris Agreement without any new gains for the...
De-Energizing Business
De-energizing business is much more popular than some elements of the green movement would have you believe. Environmentalists have forever vilified business as an enemy of the environment. This has...
Second Time’s the Charm? A Review of the Trump Administration’s Executive Order on Energy
While there are some merits to President Trump’s recent executive order on energy, there are some pitfalls that can be avoided if he relies on market forces, rather than executive...
Nuclear Power in Central Asia: The New “New Thing”?
The Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan are exploring the development of nuclear power. Last fall, Kazakhstan passed a controversial referendum to build a nuclear power plant. In...
U.S. Energy Strategy: Prioritizing Peace Through Strength
Energy policy is national security—America must act accordingly. “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the...