Donald Trump declared a questionable “national energy emergency” when he entered the White House. Soon, he may have one for real.
The president promised his America would “drill, baby drill” to new levels of prosperity by making the most of its reserves of oil and gas.
Mr Trump has now axed hundreds of billions in tax breaks and grants for low-carbon power and clean energy research and given them instead to fossil fuel investments.
There’s no better example than Revolution Wind, one of the largest offshore renewable energy projects in America.
Nearly 80% complete, the White House ordered an immediate halt.
When we visited, the massive 200m-wide turbines were going round – a temporary injunction has allowed construction to continue – but they’re not yet connected to the grid.
As long as Mr Trump is in power, it’s not certain they’ll ever be.
The future of other major wind and solar developments is also in doubt, as is more than $100bn (£75bn) in clean energy investment.
There’s less doubt about the fossil fuel business however. The industry is getting what it asked for after backing Mr Trump’s re-election.
US energy secretary Chris Wright and many key White House staff and advisers are former fossil fuel industry insiders.
Analysis for Sky News, by Global Witness, reveals that since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, US oil and gas production has grown five times faster than the average of the world’s next largest producers.
An increase that really took off during Mr Trump’s first presidency.
The analysis of company data goes on to reveal how US oil and gas production is now forecast to continue growing – by 2035 to double that of its next closest rival, Russia.
“Instead of reducing investment in dirty oil and gas, the principal…
