The reason the United States is rolling back environmental regulations ultimately lies in its pursuit of hegemony.

The United States’ move to roll back environmental regulations is more than just domestic deregulation. It is a strategy—one rooted in the belief that energy, the oldest instrument of power, holds the key to restoring American hegemony in a world drifting toward multipolar disorder. The first step is dismantling environmental constraints; the endgame is securing dominance in energy-intensive high-tech industries.

1. A Cracking Hegemony and the Dollar at Risk

The U.S. currently faces two structural challenges to its global leadership. First, the mounting national debt—now exceeding $34 trillion—is eroding confidence in the dollar’s credibility. Second, China’s rise as a strategic competitor threatens to realign the global order.

Should the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency falter, the U.S. would lose its ability to finance deficits through global credit—a privilege that has long underpinned its geopolitical power. Washington's growing sense of urgency is a response to this existential threat.

2. Trump’s Response: Unleashing Energy and Industry

In the face of this crisis, Trump-era strategists have turned to energy. The U.S. is already the world’s top producer of oil and natural gas. Simultaneously, industries like AI, robotics, and electric vehicles are becoming voracious consumers of power, meaning energy is now the lifeblood of technological competitiveness.

By relaxing environmental regulations and ramping up fossil fuel production, the U.S. seeks to secure the energy inputs necessary to fuel a renaissance in domestic industry. Meanwhile, China faces a structurally weaker position: energy insecurity, supply volatility, and increasing reliance on politically unstable exporters.

3. The New Energy–Industry–Trade Triangle

China is being squeezed on three fronts:

First, its heavy dependence on imported energy. A significant share of China’s oil and gas comes from the Middle East, Africa, and Russia—regions plagued by geopolitical instability.Second, soaring energy consumption driven by high-tech growth. Despite green ambitions, China remains heavily reliant on coal, raising both environmental and economic concerns.Third, U.S.-led export controls on critical technologies such as semiconductors, AI software, and advanced manufacturing tools, which limit China’s ability to scale high-value exports.

This trifecta—rising costs, reduced competitiveness, and limited market access—creates a structural trap. China’s industries may continue to grow in size, but their profitability and global influence are eroding.

4. How the U.S. Monetizes the Triangle

The U.S. is flipping this triangle to its advantage.

It increases energy production by removing regulations, then uses that energy to manufacture high-tech goods (semiconductors, EVs, robotics) for export. At the same time, it sells energy itself—LNG, shale oil, and power infrastructure—to both allies and competitors, creating a dual-profit structure.

Even U.S. allies are not immune. After cutting off Russian gas, Europe is now more dependent on American LNG. Japan and South Korea rely heavily on U.S.-linked energy and materials. America’s rare position—being both energy self-sufficient and a technological leader—gives it leverage not just over adversaries, but over friends as well.

5. Why Tension and Instability Are Strategic Assets

Energy is no longer just a resource—it is a weapon. To ensure global energy flows tilt in its favor, the U.S. quietly benefits from instability elsewhere. Middle Eastern volatility, Russian sanctions, and African conflict zones enhance the strategic premium of American supply. In a world full of unreliable players, U.S. energy becomes the "safe haven."

This is why deregulation is not ideological—it is tactical. America is not retreating from climate goals for their own sake, but to reopen the tap of energy-driven power projection.

Conclusion: The Return of Energy as the Core of Hegemony

Despite the global rhetoric around AI, decarbonization, and digital revolutions, the fundamental equation remains:he who controls energy at scale, at low cost, controls the future.

The U.S. understands this. It is unleashing fossil fuels not out of nostalgia, but out of necessity—because energy powers the industries that uphold the dollar, secure supply chains, and project influence.

It is not ideology. It is strategy.Once again, energy becomes the key to sustaining global hegemony.