WASHINGTON—Today, The Heritage Foundation released the fourth and final pillar of its year-long project, “Chinese Handcuffs: China’s Immobilizing Trap on U.S. Energy, Security, and Prosperity.” This series of reports explores the Chinese Communist Party’s calculated strategy to dominate the production of renewables, electric vehicles and batteries, and critical minerals through subsidies. 

Environmentalists in America and abroad are effectively enabling the CCP in its crusade against Western economies with radical policies that rely on these Chinese products. The Biden-Harris administration’s requirements to use renewables and electric vehicles strengthen the CCP and undermine the energy dominance that America has established over the last decade due to the surging production of oil and gas.  

The project’s fourth pillar, released today, is entitled: “Extricating America from Chinese Handcuffs,” and presents 18 policy solutions to ensure that all Americans have reliable, resilient, affordable energy. The paper presents data on use of renewables and electricity prices across all 50 states and shows that states that use more renewables—making them more dependent on China—have higher electricity prices. 

Heritage’s Vice President of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy Victoria Coates stated:  

“When it comes to energy security, the United States must be the solution—not the problem. The Biden-Harris administration’s green energy offensive has not only raised prices for millions of Americans, but it has also handcuffed the United States to its top adversary: China.

“American citizens must not be at the mercy of Communist China—and there is no reason for them to be. The U.S., not China, should be a global energy powerhouse fueling the future.

“This final pillar of the Chinese Handcuffs project provides critical policy remedies that will reclaim America’s energy security.”  

Heritage’s Director of the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, and co-author of the report Diana Furchgott-Roth added:  

“The next presidential administration and Congress must swiftly unite to reverse the mandates and detrimental effects of the Biden-Harris administration’s green energy agenda. Americans should have the freedom to choose what car they want to drive and what stove they want in their kitchens. They should not have to pay sky-high electricity bills due to requirements for wind turbines and solar panels.

“America is the leading producer of oil and clean natural gas and should not sacrifice its energy independence to China due to myths about climate change.

“Just as termites destroy a house by gnawing at the foundation, China is trying to gnaw away at America’s economic prowess by substituting subsidized renewables and electric vehicles for America’s oil and gas and well-built internal combustion engines—and the Biden-Harris administration is complicit in the CCP efforts.

“The 18 policy solutions found in this report would, if implemented, protect the U.S. homeland, safeguard America’s economy, and remove U.S. reliance on China.”  

Below are the report’s main recommendations:  

• Allow expanded permits for oil and gas development and domestic mining of critical minerals in order to preserve American independence and export energy to allies.
   
• Repeal green subsidies and credits and put in place tax reform to lower rates and expense investment in order to spur domestic production and raise economic growth.
   
• At the same time, pass permitting reform so people don’t have to wait years to get a new transmission line or pipeline.
   
• Expand memoranda of understanding and trade deals with countries in Africa and Latin America to secure fair access to their resources so that China doesn’t dominate the critical minerals market.
   
• Prevent Chinese malicious practices by banning Chinese EVs.
   
• Roll back mandates for costly renewable energy and for electric cars and trucks.