China is now leading the global clean energy transition, capitalizing on decades of strategic investment in solar, wind, and battery technologies, while exporting both hardware and influence to developing nations. The U.S., absent from the latest UN climate summit for the first time in 30 years, is seen as retreating from climate leadership under shifting political priorities. Under Trump, fossil fuel expansion was prioritized, undermining climate progress; Biden’s clean energy push later sparked domestic manufacturing growth, even in conservative states. However, opposition resurged, with renewables dismissed by some as secondary to AI-driven demands for power. Meanwhile, the U.S. risks long-term economic and environmental costs by ceding innovation and manufacturing—like EVs and solar panels—to China, despite having pioneered many of these technologies. This growing divide underscores a broader struggle over the direction of the global energy future, where technological leadership, national security, and climate responsibility increasingly intersect.