{
  "id": 102948,
  "title": "How Geothermal and Nuclear Could Help the U.S. Catch China in the Energy Race",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/how-geothermal-and-nuclear-could-help-the-u-s-catch-china-in-the",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-03T21:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "OilPrice",
    "slug": "oilprice",
    "url": "https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/How-Geothermal-and-Nuclear-Could-Help-the-US-Catch-China-in-the-Energy-Race.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the global pursuit of clean energy dominance, China is currently leading the way. The country has consistently outspent all other nations on clean energy and holds significant influence in the supply chains for critical clean energy components. In contrast, the United States has seen a decline in its clean energy efforts under the Trump administration, which has further widened the gap between the two nations.\n\nHowever, the United States may have an opportunity to level the playing field through two emerging technologies that enjoy strong bipartisan support: enhanced geothermal and next-generation nuclear power. Between 2019 and 2025, China invested over $500 billion in clean energy, while the United States invested only $236 billion, highlighting the US reliance on foreign direct investment for its manufacturing sector.\n\nThe recent conflict between the United States and Iran has only further increased China's advantages. As global fossil fuel markets become more volatile, countries are rushing to reduce their dependence on oil and gas imports and accelerate their investments in solar and wind industries. While China dominates the solar and wind power technologies, the United States has made notable progress in geothermal energy and some next-generation nuclear power technologies.\n\nDespite the Trump administration reversing many Biden-era clean energy supports, it has prioritized enhanced geothermal and advanced nuclear technologies as crucial components of the US strategy for energy security and independence. Enhanced geothermal energy, which utilizes advanced drilling technologies to harness the Earth's core heat from almost any location, is gaining bipartisan support and has seen substantial federal and private sector investments. The US Department of Energy estimates that enhanced geothermal projects could generate approximately 90 gigawatts of carbon-free energy by 2050, powering at least 65 million homes.\n\nSimilarly, advanced nuclear technologies like small modular reactors, molten salt reactors, and nuclear fusion have garnered the attention of both public and private sectors. The US Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program is investing significant resources to fast-track the testing and commercialization of these technologies, while Wall Street and Silicon Valley are supporting advanced nuclear startups in response to the growing AI energy crisis.\n\nChina may currently lead in solar and wind power and battery manufacturing, but the United States holds the upper hand in enhanced geothermal and next-generation nuclear energy. These technologies, which derive clean energy from sources that are less dependent on weather conditions, may prove more valuable in the long run. However, for the United States to fully leverage its geothermal and nuclear capabilities and potentially challenge China's dominance, it must effectively coordinate with major technology firms and its foreign partners or risk falling further behind.",
  "summary": "China is winning the race for global clean energy dominance. Beijing has outspent every other country on Earth for years now, and controls critical global clean energy supply chains. Over the same time period, the United States has taken a major step back from clean energy objectives under the Trump administration, giving Beijing even more leverage. But while China’s ascension to global energy…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}