A new report from McKinsey & Company, the “Global Energy Perspective,” lays bare what many of us – dismissed as “climate deniers” – have been asserting all along: Coal, oil and natural gas will continue to be the dominant sources of global energy well past 2050.
The McKinsey outlook for 2025 sharply adjusts prior projections. Last year, the management consultant’s models had coal demand falling 40% by 2035. Today, McKinsey projects an uptick of 1% over the same period. The dramatic reversal is driven by record commissioning of coal-fired power plants in China, unexpected increases in global electricity use, and the lack of viable alternatives for industries like steel, chemicals and heavy manufacturing.
The report states that the three fossil fuels will still supply up to 55% of global energy in 2050, a forecast that looks low to me. Today’s share for hydrocarbons is more than 60% for electricity generation and more than 80% for primary energy consumption.
In any case, McKinsey’s report confirms what seasoned energy analysts and pragmatic policymakers have long maintained: The energy transition will not be swift, simple, or governed solely by climate targets. In fact, this energy transition will not happen at all without large scale deployment of nuclear, geothermal or other technological innovations that prove practical.
In places such as India, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the top energy priorities are access, affordability and reliability, which together add up to national security. Planners are acutely aware of a trap: Sole reliance on weather-dependent power risks blackouts, industrial disruption, economic decline and civil unrest.
That is why many developing nations are embracing a dual track: continued investment in conventional generation (coal, gas, nuclear) while developing alternative technologies. McKinsey says this in consultancy lingo: “Countries and regions will follow distinct trajectories based on local economic conditions, resource endowment, and the realities facing particular industries.”
In countries like India, Indonesia and Nigeria, the scale of electrification and industrial expansion is enormous. These countries cannot afford to wait decades for perfect solutions. They need “reliable and good enough for now.” That means conventional fuels will be retained.
McKinsey’s analysis also underscores what physics and engineering dictate: Intermittent and weather-dependent sources, such as wind and solar, require vast land areas, backup batteries and generation and power-grid investments, none of which come cheaply nor quickly.
The technologies of wind and solar branded as renewable should instead be called economy killers. They make for expensive and unstable electrical systems that have brought energy-rich nations like Germany to their knees. After spending billions of dollars on unreliable wind turbines and solar panels and demolishing nuclear plants and coal plants, the country is struggling with high prices and economic stagnation.
The Germans now have a word for their self-inflicted crisis: Dunkelflaute. It means “dark doldrums”—a period of cold, sunless, windless days when their “green” grid fails. During a Dunkelflaute in November 2024, fossil fuels were called on to provide 70% of Germany’s electricity.
If “renewables” were truly capable, planners would shut down fossil fuel generation. But that is not the case. While wind and solar are pursued in some places, coal and natural gas remain much sought-after fuels. In the first half of 2025 alone, China commissioned about 21 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired capacity, which is more than any other country and the largest increase since 2016.
Further, China has approved construction of 25 GW of new coal plants in the first half of 2025. As of July, China’s mainland has nearly 1,200 coal plants, far outstripping the rest of the world.
McKinsey points to a dramatic surge in electricity demand driven by data centers, which is estimated to be about 17 % annually from 2022 to 2030 in the 38 OECD countries. This kind of growth in electricity use simply cannot be met by wind and solar.
When analysts, journalists and engineers point out these realities, they’re branded as “shills” for the fossil fuel industry. However, it is not public relations to point out the physics and economics that make up the math for meeting the world’s energy needs. Dismissing such facts is to deny that reliable energy remains the bedrock of modern civilization.
The cost of foolish “green” policies is being paid in lost jobs, ruined businesses, disrupted lives and impoverishment that could have been avoided by wiser choices.
For those who have repeated energy realities for years, the vindication is bittersweet. The satisfaction of being right is tempered by the knowledge that many have suffered because reality has been ignored.
Vijay Jayaraj is a contributor to The Daily Caller News Foundation andScience and Research Associate at the CO2 Coalition, Fairfax, Va. He holds an M.S. in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia and a postgraduate degree in energy management from Robert Gordon University, both in the U.K., and a bachelor’s in engineering from Anna University, India.
Americans are fed up with the endless partisan chaos pouring out of Washington, D.C. For too long, radical extremists have hijacked our government—stalling progress, undermining confidence, and jeopardizing the American Dream for future generations.
Instead of restoring faith in our republic and passing a clean continuing resolution, Democrats have decided the best idea to survive the second Trump administration is to shut down the federal government, hurting families nationwide and risking our nation’s stability and security. Unfortunately, thanks to the Democrats’ obstinance, this shutdown is quickly becoming one of the lengthiest in our country’s history.
The Democrats’ shutdown, brought about by their pursuit of extremist policies is reckless. According to the Republicans on the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, the Democrats’ counter proposal included free health care for illegal aliens, electric vehicle access to HOV lanes, taxpayer-funded criminal defense, liberal news programs, DEI projects in foreign countries, and Biden administration grant policies and COVID-era subsidies. These policies rank among the most radical ideas from the left—part of a broader plan to disregard the will of the American people in the General Election of 2024 and continue their transformation of our nation away from the principles that have made the United States the strongest and most prosperous in world history.
Their actions have jeopardized paychecks and services across the country. Families, small businesses, and seniors are being squeezed by the 2025 federal government shutdown. According to the White House Council of Economic Advisors, states would see a decline of billions of dollars of their gross state product each month during the shutdown, thousands of workers would find themselves unemployed weeks away from the holiday season, and Social Security benefits by check would be delayed.
It’s important to note these are just a few of the catastrophic issues facing everyday Americans due to the Democrats’ shutdown shenanigans. The Democrats have compromised pay to our brave men and women who serve in our military and on the front lines of our border. Rather than doing their job, most U.S. Senate Democrats, including Arizona’s own Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, have voted twelve times (and counting) to obstruct efforts to reopen the government. This is shameful, but Democrats feel no shame in their blindly partisan rampage to hurt their own constituents. U.S. House Democrat Whip Katherine Clark put her party’s position best when she said, “I mean, shutdowns are terrible and, of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer…. But it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
Worse yet, though, America’s enemies are watching for any opportunity to exploit our weaknesses. China, Russia, and other adversaries are studying this shutdown as they look for ways to take down the world’s greatest superpower. The leaders of these nations see the Democrats’ extremist desires and how those policies conflict with efficient operations to keep America running. They read the stories about the family members of our troops wondering how they might pay bills and put food on the table the longer the shutdown continues, hurting the morale of our military in a critical time for the world. Our enemies are not stupid or ignorant. They are recalculating and recalibrating thanks to the radical left.
Despite these clear and present dangers, Democrats are doubling down on their decision to shut down the government, creating spectacles to distract from harms their antics impose on everyday Americans. One of the top sideshows Democrats have exploited this month is the election of Adelita Grijalva to fill her father’s seat in Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District. Because the U.S. House of Representatives has not been in regular session since her victory, House Speaker Mike Johnson has not had the opportunity to swear her in to office. These facts, however, have not stopped Democrats from harassing Speaker Johnson and other Republicans over this continued vacancy (for legitimate reasons they are alone responsible for). Even Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes got in on the “fun,” transmitting a letter to the Speaker to threaten legal action if Grijalva was not allowed to assume her position immediately. While Democrats know Grijalva will certainly be sworn in to office, her vacant seat has been used for political fodder.
Americans are not amused, nor are they fooled. A recent poll from YouGov/The Economist showed that more respondents than the week prior blamed Democrats for the shutdown, and that a majority trust Republicans for economic issues. Hardworking men and women around the nation are disgusted with the never-ending partisan games being played at their expense. They want results and the promise of a brighter future for their children and grandchildren—not one-sided political standoffs that jeopardize the happiness, safety, and security of countless families.
This shutdown is not about helping Americans; it’s about defending unpopular priorities like protecting welfare programs for illegal immigrants. It is time for Democrats—both in Congress and across the nation—to end the political games and put hardworking Americans first. Time is of the essence. Let’s open the government and get back to work!
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14.
Northern Arizona University (NAU) is the latest in the state to drop its program with a Chinese university over national security concerns.
House committees on the Chinese Community Party and Education and the Workforce released a report last month flagging security concerns within NAU’s partnership with a Chinese municipal public university, Chongqing University of Post and Telecommunications (CQUPT).
The report outlined the main pathways by which China manipulates the American university system to benefit its military interests.
“What once came through Confucius Institutes now flows through new channels — less visible but no less strategic,” stated the report. “The Select Committee is now actively investigating these additional CCP activities — including the China Scholarship Counsel and student visa pathways — which, combined with joint institutes, illustrate a coordinated strategy by the CCP: leverage American institutions to train PRC talent, absorb U.S. research, and convert that knowledge into military and economic advantage. Joint institutes are just one vector — the problem is systemic.”
Rep. Eli Crane commended NAU for shutting down the program following the report’s publication.
“I applaud Northern Arizona University’s leadership in reviewing its international partnerships and ensuring that its programs align with national security initiatives,” said Crane in a press release on Monday. “NAU’s actions reflect a responsible approach to protecting students, faculty, and the integrity of U.S. research and education. We greatly appreciate their commitment to these shared values, as well as all they do for Northern Arizona.”
The CQUPT program was a 3+1 dual-degree program in Electrical Engineering.
Full withdrawal will occur within 90 days, per Crane’s press release.
NAU’s program was one of over 50 university partnerships the congressional committees deemed “high-risk” for their involvement with universities guided by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) military and defense interests. The congressional committees disclose that the list is not all-inclusive and that more may exist.
The University of Arizona (U of A) had two programs included in the congressional report that were deemed high risk: one with the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and the other with the Arizona College of Technology (ACT) at Hebei University of Technology (HUT).
The HIT program is one of three joint programs that American universities launched with one of China’s Seven Sons of National Defense (SSND) universities.
Only universities selected by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to advance China’s military and defense research qualify as SSND.
Although the report declared the HIT partnership to be active, U of A has stated it terminated its partnership in December 2023.
The committees also determined the University of Arizona’s Arizona College of Technology at Hebei University of Technology.
Last month, U of A faculty were advised that Chinese microcampuses would be closed following congressional advice on national security concerns with the partnerships.
U of A issued a notice on its Research and Partnerships page last December that SSND posed “atypical security risks and concerns about misuse of research for military purposes” due to their being controlled by CCP’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
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An investigative report released last week revealed that Arizona’s Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs accepted a campaign donation from Pin Ni, a Chinese Communist Party member and board director at major automotive parts maker Wanxiang Group.
According to the report, the donation appears to have been made after Hobbs vetoed one piece of legislation that would have pushed Chinese influence out of Arizona’s prominent healthcare and research base and another piece of legilslation that would have banned the Chinese Government from owning land in the state.
Michael Lucci, founder of State Armor, a national security group, told the Washington Examiner in a statement Tuesday, “State Armor respectfully calls upon Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs to partner with the Arizona legislature to oppose America’s adversaries instead of opposing the legislature’s attempts to protect Arizona from Communist China.”
He added, “In the last two years, Governor Hobbs has vetoed more legislation to protect her state from the CCP than any other governor in the country, including common-sense legislation to protect Arizona land and Arizonan genetic information from China’s military. So it is disappointing but not shocking to see Gov. Hobbs takes political money from CCP-tied billionaires.”
No amount of money is worth selling out your state. Send the campaign cash back to the CCP & crush the CCP's malicious influence with new state laws and orders.https://t.co/ED9yKib1sjpic.twitter.com/69NWQXhgHo
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Hobbs has already fallen under heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers following her veto of HB 2542, which would have blocked corporations with ties to the People’s Republic of China from securing contracts with the State of Arizona. She also vetoed SB 1109, a bill that would have specifically targeted Chinese purchases of land in Arizona, but approved Senate Bill 1082, which applied restrictions on land purchases to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Lucci urged Hobbs to return the funds and enact further legislation to protect Arizona from Beijing’s influence writing, “No amount of political contributions is worth selling out the great state of Arizona to the CCP. Governor Hobbs should send the CCP-tied money back to its source and instead enact a range of executive orders and legislative solutions to protect our state from America’s enemies.”
The timing of the allegations against Hobbs, coupled with the entry of a third Republican, Congressman David Schweikert, into the 2026 gubernatorial race could prove a serious challenge for the already embattled Democrat.
Recent polling shows Congressman Andy Biggs as the clear frontrunner in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary over Schweikert and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson.
An Arizona congressman is warning constituents about the Chinese Communist Party’s close ties with Mexican drug cartels.
Congressman Abe Hamadeh, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, shared an article on X about the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) discovery of Chinese networks laundering billions of dollars for Mexican drug cartels through American financial institutions.
In his post, Hamadeh explained, “The Treasury’s FinCEN discovered that Chinese networks have been using our country to launder billions of dollars for the Mexican cartels. This is only part of a continued & concerted effort from a hostile CCP regime to undermine America’s public safety.”
The Treasury's FinCEN discovered that Chinese networks have been using our country to launder billions of dollars for the Mexican cartels.
This is only part of a continued & concerted effort from a hostile CCP regime to undermine America's public safety.https://t.co/XzCkm2hsIp
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) September 2, 2025
According to The Center Square, in a report from FinCEN, the Treasury Department analyzed 137,153 Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) reports totaling approximately $312 billion in suspicious activity from 2020 to 2024 that “sheds light on how [Chinese money laundering networks (CMLN),] launder illicit proceeds from criminal activities, including drug trafficking, and how CMLNs launder money on a global scale.”
The report revealed several alarming findings regarding CMLNs, describing a complex web of dirty money connecting ubiquitous real estate transactions throughout the United States to human trafficking over the Mexican border, and even assisted living facilities in New York.
“Ultimately, Chinese citizens’ demand for large quantities of U.S. dollars and the cartels’ need to launder their illicit U.S. dollar proceeds has resulted in a mutualistic relationship wherein the cartels sell off their illicitly obtained U.S. dollars to CMLNs who, in turn, sell the U.S. dollars to Chinese citizens seeking to evade China’s currency control laws,” the report explained.
According to the report, “The PRC maintains strict currency controls, also known as capital flight restrictions, which limit the amount of money Chinese citizens can transfer abroad each year to 50,000 USD for investment and financial purposes.”
To bypass these restrictions, many Chinese nationals turn to this underground banking system or ‘CUBS.’ Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley told The Center Square, “Money laundering networks linked to individual passport holders from the People’s Republic of China enable cartels to poison Americans with fentanyl, conduct human trafficking, and wreak havoc among communities across our great nation.”
The report found, “Many Chinese citizens have turned to alternative methods, like the Chinese underground banking system (CUBS), to bypass these restrictions. The CUBS consists of various individuals and businesses from different industries who collaborate through ‘mirror transfers’ to move money across borders, as part of informal value transfer system schemes. The CUBS, in turn, depend on CMLNs to secure foreign currency.”
FinCEN summarized that in just the past five years, it has recorded a significant increase in the money laundering schemes at play between CMLNs and Mexican Drug Cartels, with the agents “gain(ing) prominence among global money laundering groups due to their reliability, low fees, organizational structure, worldwide presence, and access to the U.S. financial system.” It also shared that that this massive financial windfall for bad actors in China are directly to tied to operations that “launder illicit proceeds from otherwise unrelated criminal networks involved in a range of illicit activities, including fraud schemes; human trafficking and smuggling; marijuana grow house operations; and tax evasion, by facilitating the exchange of cash proceeds.”
Communist China hasn't just been moving precursor chemicals for the Mexican cartels to make their poisons.
They've also been moving their money for them.
Congressman Hamadeh is aware of exactly what the CCP's intentions are: chaos and destruction.https://t.co/dFxYQc83FI
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) September 3, 2025
