At the Sept. 23, 2025, U.N. General Assembly, President Donald Trump drew global headlines by blasting what he called the “extreme cost” of the green transition, arguing that climate alarmism is impoverishing ordinary people while enriching elites. Whatever one thinks of Trump’s rhetoric, he touched on an inconvenient truth: despite endless assurances from campaigners and institutions like the U.N., World Bank, and World Economic Forum, wind and solar are still not delivering cheap energy. In fact, they are making electricity more expensive.
For years, media and green advocates have insisted that solar and wind are now the cheapest forms of electricity. This claim is central to the idea that a green transition is inevitable and beneficial — even under a second Trump administration. But two decades of evidence shows the opposite. The countries that have added the most solar and wind also have the highest power costs.
The claim of “cheap” solar and wind is built on a sleight of hand. These sources are indeed often competitive when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. But modern societies need power 24/7. When the sun is not shining and the wind not blowing, countries must rely on costly backup — mostly fossil fuels. Factoring in these costs reveals that renewables are far from cheap.
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A study of China found solar’s real cost was twice that of coal. Research about Germany and Texas showed that once backup costs are included, solar and wind go from appearing slightly cheaper to many times more expensive.
We see this in consumer prices. Germany, Spain, Denmark and the U.K. have some of the world’s highest electricity costs alongside massive investments in renewables. Last year, households and industries in the EU paid more than 26 cents per kilowatt-hour, more than double the U.S. price of 13 cents and triple the price in China. The U.K., with its even greener ambition, paid an eye-watering 36 cents per kilowatt-hour, nearly three times the U.S. price and more than four times the price in China.
Across 70 countries, International Energy Agency data shows a clear pattern: more renewables, higher costs. Every 10% increase in the share of wind and solar raises average power costs by over four cents per kilowatt-hour.
Headlines often tout how Germany and other nations and states generate most of their electricity from renewables. But these stories never mention the dark, windless days when solar and wind provide almost nothing. Last winter, renewables repeatedly delivered less than 4% of Germany’s power for an entire day.
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Advocates say batteries will fix this problem. But all of Germany’s storage would last less than 20 minutes. The reality: fossil fuels remain essential, but because they now run less frequently, costs soar. Last November, when solar and wind provided almost nothing, wholesale German prices spiked to $1 per kilowatt-hour
As conventional plants shut down, the risks rise. A German utility CEO warned the country narrowly avoided blackouts only because the weather wasn’t colder.
If solar and wind were truly cheaper, poor countries would leapfrog to them. Yet the opposite is happening. Across developing nations, electricity demand rose almost 5% last year — mostly met by fossil fuels. China used more additional coal than it used additional solar and wind combined. Bangladesh used 13 times more additional coal than additional renewables.
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India, praised for ambitious solar goals, still added three times more coal than solar and wind. Billionaire Gautam Adani, struggling to find buyers for a $6 billion solar project, allegedly resorted to a $265 million bribery scheme — because most Indian states refuse to rely on unreliable renewables.
Poor nations know reliability matters. Rich nations can indulge the solar-and-wind illusion only because they already have fossil backups and lavish subsidies.
Europe’s high prices at least reflect the true costs of renewables. The U.S. disguises them through subsidies. Federal tax credits for wind and solar alone cost nearly $18 billion in 2024, with states adding billions more. In Texas, subsidies may have exceeded $20 billion last year —10 times the value of the power produced.
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Across the U.S., hidden subsidies may exceed $60 billion annually, meaning real power costs are about 25% higher than official bills suggest.
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The myth of cheap renewables is comforting but destructive. It sustains a system of rising bills and endless subsidies, hitting the poorest hardest.
Trump is right to call out the economic damage of today’s climate policies. But the solution is not to ignore climate change — it is to pursue smarter ones. We should focus on innovation that can genuinely make green energy cheaper than fossil fuels. This means dramatically more investment in research and development: from advanced nuclear to more reliable renewables with storage to geothermal breakthroughs.
Such investments would cost far less than today’s climate spending and deliver real benefits. Until then, fossil fuels will remain indispensable. Pretending otherwise only makes energy more costly and less secure.
The world needs honesty: solar and wind are not yet cheap because they need backup, and forcing them onto power grids only raises prices. If rich countries concerned with climate change prioritize innovation over illusion, they could lead a real green revolution — one built not on slogans, but on affordable, reliable energy for all.
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