CGTN Europe spoke to Michael Mehling, Deputy Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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00:00The U.S. Energy Secretary recently called on Eastern and Central European nations to abandon their net zero goals.
00:07Michael Mealing is Deputy Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research at MIT.
00:15Well, if you read or listen to his remarks, he emphasizes a few aspects that he sort of characterizes as America's choice
00:23and contrasts it with what the European Union is doing.
00:26Of course, it's sort of a little bit also cherry picking.
00:31So he's looking at the current administration's priorities in energy policy.
00:35And as you've probably seen, they always keep emphasizing affordability, reliability, security.
00:41The aspects of like sustainability or environmental dimensions of it are entirely omitted.
00:47And that's what he contrasts with what the EU is doing, which prioritizes or puts at least at the same level of priorities or goals,
00:56the sustainability dimension of it all, reducing greenhouse gases, reducing ambient air pollution, etc.
01:02And of course, he's sort of he then portrays it as the U.S. way is the one that leads to prosperity, lower energy costs, abundant energy, etc.
01:10and blames essentially Europe's high energy costs on this alternative choice of looking at climate, looking at environment as a co-equal priority.
01:22And one could quibble with that.
01:23But, you know, by and large, there are, of course, also some kernels of truth in that.
01:26Well, indeed, he has said that renewable investments weigh on growth.
01:32They boost the revenues of foreign companies.
01:35Does he have some interesting and important points?
01:38And do you think that he has a welcoming audience in Eastern and Central Europe who may agree with this
01:44and indeed decides to follow the U.S., the current U.S. administration on its so-called energy freedom path?
01:51I think you would find that anywhere in Europe, there will always be some constituencies that are that see the appeal in that, you know, promise in that alternative vision for for the energy future.
02:04And Eastern, Central and Eastern Europe is probably particularly amenable.
02:09And 100 days in now to Donald Trump's second administration, perhaps it's no real surprise, but he has indeed begun to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement.
02:20There's an expansion of mining and the use of coal being planned and also an increase in oil and gas.
02:27I would vehemently disagree with that.
02:28I think, you know, this is partly where I keep sort of hinting that at the surface level and in the short term,
02:35a lot of the messaging that Secretary Wright is bringing to Central and Eastern Europe is really astute because it's sort of it ticks certain boxes that are of concern,
02:45not just in Central and Eastern Europe and other parts of Europe to high energy costs, the impacts and competitiveness, et cetera.
02:52But, you know, if you look at the U.S. and especially if you look at the local and subnational level where the action is actually happening, investments are continuing.
03:01They have slowed down.
03:02There's certainly been uncertainty and sort of a wait and see attitude.
03:05Tariffs will increase the cost of certain technologies.
03:08But by and large, the fundamental economics of renewable energy, which just keep declining in costs, no matter what politics tries to do, the technology costs is declining.