Following along as State Journal cartoonist Phil Hands draws a cartoon about tariffs.
The U.S. is in a golden age — not the sheen of a gold brick, but the golden glow coming from the sky.
The recent Semafor News article “New top US solar lobbyist sees a ‘golden age’ under Trump” details how solar power combined with battery storage represented most of the new energy in the United States. It highlighted how solar energy is the cheapest way to generate electricity in the U.S. and how its deployment is happening faster (surprisingly) in conservative and liberal states.
Two other points are obvious by our ongoing war in Iran. Solar power is not a geopolitical bargaining chip. As some pundits have put it, electrons do not get stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. Solar is often generated locally, requiring far less infrastructure compared to fossil fuels, which require extraction, processing and shipping. Solar panels are also a durable form of energy. Plop down a panel, and you have 20 to 30 years of clean energy flowing to you without much intervention.
Renewable energy is the future. The Trump administration can only hold it back so much, no matter how hard it tries to cut subsidies and discourage solar farms. Businesses and ordinary citizens are finally starting to see the light.
Nathan Dombeck, Janesville
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Following along as State Journal cartoonist Phil Hands draws a cartoon about tariffs.
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