The Growing Bipartisan Support For Protecting The Freedom To Invest

InnovationSustainabilityThe Growing Bipartisan Support For Protecting The Freedom To InvestByMindy Lubber,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Mindy Lubber is CEO and president of Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization.Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 09:19am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 30: The sun shines over towers carrying electrical lines. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesAmerica is in a global race for energy leadership. From electric vehicles and advanced batteries to solar manufacturing and next-generation nuclear, clean energy innovation will determine which nations set the terms of global prosperity in the 21st Century.China understands this better than anyone. It invested roughly $940 billion in clean energy sectors last year. It now produces nearly 70% of the world’s electric vehicles and dominates global battery and solar supply chains. These investments are not only about cutting emissions. They are about power, influence, and national security. Unleash, Not Constrain Energy InnovationThat reality should serve as a wake-up call in Washington. If the United States is to stay competitive, we must unleash, not constrain, the private capital and energy innovation that will define the next century of the American economy. And for conservative leaders, many of whom have long sounded alarms about China’s rise, that means returning to a fundamental principle of their own movement: trust in markets and competition, not government interference.Unfortunately, some recent political actions run counter to that principle. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued major asset managers for considering cleaner sources of energy in their investment strategies, claiming they are conspiring to disadvantage coal producers. But as former Republican Representatives Bob Inglis of Sou...