The morning after last week’s presidential election, I had to get up at 4 a.m. to take my mother to the hospital for surgery that was less than ideally timed.

As my colleagues write about the results of the election (and I did For this reason Really Alright), I spent most of the rest of the week in an uncomfortable chair in the hospital room. I’ve had a lot of time to think, including whether my core belief in progress can withstand the onslaught of events.

Progress in terms of energy economics means ensuring that the energy transition will be successful and that the world will thus avoid the worst effects of climate change.

I’m back A book dated 1991Minnesota, St. “Technology, Theology, and the Idea of ​​Progress,” by David Hopper, a professor of religious studies at Macalester College in St. Paul, when I was a student there in the late 1990s. Hopper was nearing the end of his career at the time, and I’m not exaggerating when I say he had Yoda-like wisdom.

He believed in the idea of ​​progress and saw it as part of his religious belief. But he did not blindly accept the progress in his writings. He talked about the possibility that technology and man-made disasters could lead to doubts about whether the world is moving towards a greater state of happiness and justice.

“With each passing day, the realization grows that our blue, beautiful, cloud-speckled miracle in space is now doomed,” he wrote. “This is something we all play a part in as we become caught up in our comforts and technological distractions.”

I can only imagine what Hopper could do. died in 2020He would have an election in which the United States elects a climate change denier to lead it during a record-breaking period.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to see a significant increase in oil and gas production, even though the United States is already the global leader, and wants to roll back regulations requiring power plants and vehicles to reduce emissions. Some of these actions would be subject to legal challenges that could slow the pace of implementation, but they are unlikely to face much resistance in a Republican-controlled Congress or the conservative U.S. Supreme Court.

A president who does everything he can to worsen climate change could do a lot of damage. But there are forces beyond his control that will continue to support the energy transition.

First, solar energy is the cheapest source of electricity in most of the world. The falling price of batteries also affects the global automotive market. approaching a point An EV will be cheaper than an equivalent gasoline vehicle. (My colleague Marianne Lavelle and I wrote last month We talk about the dynamics of the EV market, highlighting how Chinese automaker BYD is making headway in Mexico.)

Both of the examples I mentioned are the result of technological advancement, which makes my former professor think that I have missed the point of his book.

Here’s a different framing of the argument: Affordable carbon-free electricity is good for the world because it helps eliminate the burning of fossil fuels, resulting in cleaner air and water and a reduction in emissions that contribute to climate change. Additionally, the growth of solar energy has a democratizing effect by allowing people to generate their own electricity. These steps can lead to greater happiness and justice.

I think this aligns with one of the final thoughts in Hopper’s book, that “the responsibility and joy of faith are determined in this life.”

me on monday Interview with Katharine Hayhoescientist from Texas Tech University and asked him how the election results align with his view of the idea of ​​progress. He has written frequently about how his faith informs his work on climate.

The idea of ​​progress has definitely taken some knocks, he said, and the solution is to have hope that inspires action.

“I go out and look for information about progress and I share with peoplehe said. “When we go in and look for him, it turns out he’s there.”

He gets his inspiration from history. He remembered a moment a few years ago when the evidence for climate change was particularly dire, and he chanced upon this: an Instagram post A monument commemorating Thomas Fowell Buxton, a British member of Parliament who died in 1845. Buxton was a leader of the abolition movement and was part of the generation that helped pass the 1833 act outlawing slavery in the British Empire.

The abolition movement succeeded, but after a long struggle. Many people have seen little progress in their lifetimes.

“This reminded me of how often people struggle for a better future,” Hayhoe said.

Where does my idea of ​​progress stand?

Easy answer: Ask me again in four years.

Serious answer: Energy transition can be slowed down, but not stopped. Given the urgency of climate change, any slowdown is a problem, but I’m confident people will figure it out even if progress isn’t a straight line.

Other energy transition stories to note this week:

Biden Plan Will Provide Great Support to Nuclear Energy: The Biden administration has released a framework for expanding nuclear power that sets a goal of building 200 gigawatts of new nuclear power plants by 2050. Andrew Freedman reports for Axios. This would be more than three times the current nuclear capacity. However, considering the difficulties of construction just a new nuclear power plantIt is unclear how the country will achieve this goal. The administration’s most urgent goal within the framework is to build a new 15 gigawatt nuclear power plant by 2035.

After Trump Wins, It’s Up to States to Lead Climate Action: States took responsibility for combating climate change during the first Trump administration, and now they must redouble their efforts in the second term. That was the message Climate Cabinet executive director Caroline Spears gave state lawmakers after Trump’s victory. Jeff St. John reports for Canary Media. What’s not yet clear is which states have the right elected officials who can pass the legislation needed.

Trump May Control EV ‘Battery Boom’ or Bust: President-elect Donald Trump has attacked what he calls electric vehicle “mandates,” but it’s not yet clear what all of his deregulatory actions will do to the electric vehicle supply chain. Hannah Northey, Mike Lee and David Ferris report for E&E News. Trump will likely accelerate permitting for new mines, which will increase the supply of materials for EV batteries. But that won’t matter much if it also takes actions that hinder the growth of EV sales, such as getting rid of tax credits for the manufacturers who make the vehicles and the consumers who buy them.

Trump Vows to End US Offshore Wind Projects. Will it be successful? President-elect Donald Trump may have a hard time dismantling the US offshore wind industry, despite his known antipathy. Wayne Parry reported to the Associated Press. There are approximately 65 gigawatts of offshore wind projects in various stages of development in the United States. Projects that already have federal permits are in less danger from the incoming Trump administration. And the market forces that support the development of offshore wind will not go away. However, Trump could appoint people hostile to offshore wind to regulatory agencies and take steps that would reverse the Biden administration’s goals to develop this resource.

Multi-State Offshore Wind Pact Weakened After Connecticut’s Primary Exit: The United States’ first and only multistate agreement to purchase offshore wind power is under pressure after one of its members refused to participate in a recent developer selection for three projects off the New England coast. Jon Hurdle reports for ICN. The deal was struck between Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, but Connecticut did not play a role in selecting the developers when the acquisitions were announced in September. The state did not specify why it decided to leave this issue out; That’s alarming to renewable energy advocates, who see the tri-state partnership as an important part of offshore wind development in the region.

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