US President Donald Trump on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on green energy policies while addressing global leaders and business executives at the World Economic Forum (WEF), reiterating his administration’s rejection of what he described as the “Green New Scam.” Trump claimed that his leadership had shielded the United States from policies he believes damage economies rather than protect the environment.
“There are windmills all over Europe. There are windmills all over the place, and they are losers. One thing I’ve noticed is that the more windmills a country has, the more money that country loses, and the worst that country is doing,” he said.
Trump Targets Wind Energy, Calls It an Economic Burden
Continuing his criticism, Trump argued that wind energy has failed to deliver economic benefits, asserting that countries investing heavily in windmills are facing financial setbacks. He claimed the technology benefits manufacturers more than the nations that install it.
“China makes all of the windmills and yet I haven’t found any wind farms in China,” he said. “Did you ever think of that? It’s a good way of looking at this one. China is very smart. They make them. They sell them for a fortune,” Trump said, adding, “They sell them to the stupid people that buy them.”
Trump went on to accuse wind farms of harming wildlife and landscapes, repeating his long-standing objections to renewable energy infrastructure.
“They’re shocked that people continue to buy those damn things. They killed the birds, they ruin your landscapes. Other than that, I think they’re fabulous, by the way. Stupid people buy them,” the US President said.
Europe’s Energy Choices Under Fire
The US President also cited Europe as an example of what he called the economic consequences of green energy adoption. He claimed electricity prices in Germany have risen sharply and linked the United Kingdom’s current energy challenges to its refusal to exploit fossil fuel reserves.
He said electricity costs in Germany have surged by 64 per cent and claimed the UK produces just one-third of the energy it did in 1999.
“The United Kingdom produces just one third of the total energy from all sources that it did in 1999,” he said.
Trump further argued that the UK’s reluctance to tap North Sea oil reserves has worsened its energy situation, despite what he described as centuries’ worth of available resources.
“Think of that? One third, and they’re sitting on top of the North Sea, one of the greatest reserves anywhere in the world, but they don’t use it.”
“That’s one reason why their energy has reached catastrophically low levels with equally high prices,” Trump stated.