Dear Americans: When it comes to energy security, would you prefer to depend on Canada and its oil and gas industry or on China? This question has been more pressing since the conflict with Iran started on February 28th.
Someone on X mentioned an interesting point: “Has anyone realized that neither solar nor wind energy will become costlier if there’s a war in the Middle East? Solar and wind energy won’t be trapped in the Strait of Hormuz!”
But really, isn’t it worth asking: what happens when it gets dark, or the weather turns bad—like when it snows or it’s either too hot or too cold? In those situations, we basically get nothing from the sun or wind.
Yes, the oil market is, well, unpredictable right now. We’ve all felt that way many times over the last hundred years. Countries that rely on Middle Eastern oil—unlike the U.S. under Trump—are particularly vulnerable to these fluctuations. This includes places like China, Japan, India, and to a lesser extent, the UK and Europe.
Proponents of renewable energy argue that we can easily shift away from the risks of imported oil by turning to wind and solar. But isn’t that just swapping one risky dependence for another, perhaps even riskier? I mean, who produces this stuff? Isn’t it, like, most of it comes from China?
When it comes to solar panels, the answer is China. The same goes for wind turbines and their blades. And guess what? If we talk about stationary batteries for backing up renewable energy, yeah, it’s China again.
But there’s more to it. Which nation controls the global supply chain for parts that make up even those few solar panels and wind turbines not assembled in China? Surprise—it’s still China.
Ever since the push for a radical energy transition began about a decade ago, I’ve often pointed out that these so-called alternatives could make the U.S. and others entirely dependent on China for energy security. It seems pretty undeniable at this point.
And it’s not just wind and solar. This applies equally to electric vehicles, which are also heavily reliant on Chinese parts and batteries. It really doesn’t matter which brand of EV you drive; the majority of components originate from China.
No country can completely dodge this reality. However, the U.S. has a distinct advantage when it comes to real energy security compared to most developed nations. As a net oil exporter, the U.S. nearly meets all its needs domestically and imports from nearby countries like Canada, Venezuela, and Mexico, while rarely relying on the Middle East.
So, what will it be? Will we depend on China for our energy, or will we support our domestic oil and gas industry alongside Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela? It boils down to that choice.
The decision doesn’t seem overwhelmingly hard, does it?
