Race to the Top: The Case for a New U.S. International Energy Policy

U.S. foreign policy has always thought about energy and, more recently, climate. In the last decade, however, the energy landscape has changed dramatically. These changes are occurring within broader geopolitical shifts, which redefine the context for U.S. foreign energy and climate policy.

In January 2021, a new administration, and maybe a new president, will be sworn in and the continued search for an international energy and climate strategy will go through another iteration.

To prepare for that moment, we spent much of that last year thinking about what that strategy should be; this document summarizes our results. There is an enormous opportunity to advance a domestic and international energy strategy that provides tangible economic, security, and environmental benefits for the United States while encouraging and supporting a framework of constructive international competition based on shared interests.

Such a strategy should be based on three key principles:

1. Old strategies will not work—too much has changed.
2. Reinvesting in domestic energy competitiveness is an essential first step.
3. Encourage an international race to the top.