Opinion

Clean energy cuts make no sense

Sleek white wind turbines, 25 stories tall, rise from the plains of West Texas in Big Spring. Texas is one of the windiest states in the nation and the Panhandle and West Texas are the state's windiest regions. Sleek white wind turbines, 25 stories tall, rise from the plains of West Texas in Big Spring. Texas is one of the windiest states in the nation and the Panhandle and West Texas are the state's windiest regions. Photo: CAROLYN MARY BAUMAN, STF / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM Photo: CAROLYN MARY BAUMAN, STF / FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Clean energy cuts make no sense 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The White House is seeking a 72 percent cut to clean energy research.

This move falls squarely under the huh? category even if Congress is unlikely to go along with the budget request, reported first by the Washington Post.

Last year, Congress rejected the Trump administration’s request for a two-thirds cut in spending to the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficient and Renewable Energy. The Energy Department is run by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has largely gone along with the president’s preference for fossil fuels, particularly coal, which Trump describes as “beautiful” and “clean.”

It, of course, is neither of those things. Among its emissions: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, carbon dioxide, mercury and other heavy metals. Trump has promised to revive the coal industry, but the main culprit for its demise is the availability of cheaper natural gas. In fact, natural gas is one of those fossil fuels that the administration now wants to emphasize over wind and solar energy generation. Furthering that goal, Trump earlier announced tariffs on foreign solar panels.

Texas is, by any measure, a fossil fuel state. It is a driver of the state’s economy. But even this state has embraced wind and solar energy generation. All of the above (except for coal) is a good strategy, and one this administration should follow. Congress should again reject this cut.