The Energy Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to climate initiatives and environmental causes, released nearly $4 million to fund various climate change projects across the United States, including electric transportation and reducing America’s dependence on fossil fuels. The Energy Foundation, headquartered in San Fransisco, runs most of its operations from Beijing and has strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
The group leases two office facilities in China, and the connections run deep. The CEO and President of the Energy Foundation, Ji Zou, served as the deputy director general at China’s National Center for Climate Change Strategy, part of the Chinese government’s National Development and Reform Commission. Ping He, the program director overseeing the industry program, was an employee at the state-run research facility, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The head of the environmental management division, Liu Xin, was a prominent figure at the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.
The startling links between America’s climate change initiatives and communist China were revealed through the examination of tax documents In an ongoing congressional investigation led by House Natural Resources Committee Republicans.
An aide from the Natural Resources Committee said that the CCP’s nonprofit influence is focused on advancing Chinese energy interests and undermining America’s competitiveness. The aide said that the CCP had used American nonprofits to “shape American public opinion and policy decisions” for years.
The Energy Foundation granted funds to the University of Maryland and the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs, totaling $450,000, specifically for projects focused on reducing reliance on coal power. The Energy Foundation directed an additional $480,000 to the International Council on Clean Transportation in Washington, D.C., which actively promotes the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and other net-zero transportation initiatives.
The organization further gave $375,000 to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an organization established as the “first litigation-focused nonprofit in America” and committed to forcing “environmentally harmful” industries to address pollution. The NRDC advocates for progressive pet policies such as the banning of drilling, opposing the Keystone XL pipeline and mineral mining, and closing down coal plants.
In the past year, the organization allocated over a dozen grants in the United States, including a transfer of $900,000 to the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado-based organization that, in partnership with the White House, is aggressively pushing net-zero policies. The Rocky Mountain Institute also led the charge to eliminate gas-powered stoves. Additionally, the Energy Foundation contributed $350,000 to Harvard University to fund an “outreach to build a clean energy future.”
Tom Pyle, the president of the Institute for Energy Research, expressed alarm that American institutions are “sacrificing national security and empowering China.”
As per recently discovered tax documents, the Energy Foundation experienced a 30% year-over-year decrease in grant revenue, amounting to $56.7 million in 2022. However, despite this decline, the foundation’s contributions to external organizations and global initiatives surged to $52.1 million, marking a substantial 27% increase compared to the previous year.
Pyle explains that the Energy Foundation’s grant-making ensures ongoing transportation and domestic energy production challenges. Noting that the organizations receiving the money are not committed to environmental issues and seem more focused on a redistribution agenda, Pyle emphasizes, “If they achieve their objectives, it will diminish America’s strength and bolster China’s position.”
Extremist environmental activists in the United States often end up furthering the interests of the CCP. China dominates the global solar supply chain, holding over 80% share in all solar panel production manufacturing stages. China further produces 95% of all ingots, wafers, and global polysilicon, all necessary supplies for manufacturing solar products.
As the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlighted, China dominates the global production of lithium-ion batteries, a critical part of EVs, with 75% of the output. China also holds 70% of cathode and 85% of anode production, which is crucial in manufacturing the batteries.
IEA data also reveals that China houses over 50% of the refining and processing capacity for minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and graphite, all essential for EV batteries and other green energy technologies. Chinese investment firms have strategically gained control over mineral production by aggressively acquiring stakes in African mines.
It’s been difficult for progressives to continue pushing their radical agenda on an increasingly unwilling nation. Now that it’s been discovered that China is funding much of the movement, the only thing that will be “net zero” will be America’s trust in climate change initiatives.