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Watt’s Happening: China Advances as the United States Retreats From Global Leadership Topic: Oil and Gas Blog Brand: Energy World Region: Americas, and Asia Tags: China, Davos, Donald Trump, and Snow January 23, 2026 By: Toni Mikec
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Watt’s Happening aims to provide breaking news, sharp analysis, and thoughtful commentary from the cutting edge of the energy sector as this dynamic area of the world continues to expand and grow before our eyes.
Weekly Highlights:
China Advances as the United States Retreats From Global Leadership
To many analysts, President Trump’s speech at Davos has signaled the death knell for the liberal world order, especially the fight against climate change, formed in the wake of World War II. However, China has immediately stepped forward to fill the gap. In a lesser-analyzed speech, Vice Premier He Lifeng implored Davos’s attendees to purchase China’s green energy technology and positioned China as a leader in the field. Indeed, China’s carbon emissions have flattened out after years of leading the world in emissions. Whether or not it will be able to meet President Xi Jinping’s plan to reduce emissions by 2030 is another question.
Downside of Data Center Boom in the Badger State
The data center boom has reached Wisconsin in the form of Microsoft’s decision to build fifteen new data centers in Mount Pleasant, but a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists is not a notice of celebration. Indeed, the report argues that the state should see anywhere between $113 billion and $130 billion in costs for the state by 2050 at the same time that the state’s reliance on fossil fuels will continue to rise. Such a trajectory does not bode well for the future health of the state, its environment, or its people.
“Snowpocalypse” May Curb Oil Production
The coming snowpocalypse will not only affect a large part of the East Coast of the United States, but it will also likely hurt the refinement of crude oil. As most refining equipment operates best between the temperatures of 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, it is likely that the freezing weather will likely cause some disruption. Of course, the scale of the disruption remains to be seen, as weather forecasts of the storm have ranged from apocalyptic to bearable.
Rising Coal Demand Curbs Southeast Asia’s Green Transition
While China seems poised to lead the world into the new era of green energy, Southeast Asia’s appetite for coal is only growing. Indeed, coal is projected to rise by four percent each year through the end of the decade, largely due to the need to power electrification of the country. The problem, of course, is that the region is also projected to suffer a great deal from the effects of climate change as the monsoons intensify. Indeed, the region saw horrible flooding last year, as heavy rains inundated Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
Japan Curbs Nuclear Power Plant Triumph
Earlier, I wrote that Japan was going to restart its nuclear power plants, even after the Fukushima disaster, in order to wean itself off of imported energy as tensions heat up in the East China Sea. While its largest nuclear power plant has restarted, an unexpected emergency aborted the relaunch. That is, although an alarm sounded during the relaunch, there was no crisis to speak of. Still, the country is on edge, as the lessons from the disaster have not been forgotten among the Japanese public.
Next time, it’s time to say goodbye.
About the Author: Toni Mikec
Toni Mikec is the managing editor for Energy World, a publication of the Center for the National Interest. Before that, he worked as a political consultant for Your Voter Guide in Sacramento and as a senior editor at Eagle Financial Publications in Washington, DC. He holds a B.A. in International Relations (summa cum laude) from the University of California, Davis and an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Image: Shutterstock/Boris-B
The post Watt’s Happening: China Advances as the United States Retreats From Global Leadership appeared first on The National Interest.
Источник: nationalinterest.org