Donald Trump, a notorious climate change sceptic, could be the messiah of the Hunter's clean energy sector.
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This is not a sentence the Newcastle Herald ever expected to print.
The Republican's presidential candidate could never be described as an advocate for the clean energy industry.
He's previously called climate change a "hoax", labelled renewable energy "a scam business" and if elected vowed to "drill, baby, drill".
He once said in a tirade against wind farms that "I know windmills very much," and "I've studied it better than anybody I know".
Yet in the same breath said he "never understood wind".
"If you love birds, you'd never want to walk under a windmill, because it's a very sad, sad sight. It's like a cemetery. We put a little statue for the poor birds," Mr Trump told reporters in 2019.
Although it is tempting to fill the rest of the editorial with amusing quotes from Trump about renewable energy, it would avoid a closer examination of this bizarre twist of fate; if Donald Trump wins this year's presidential election, it would benefit the Hunter's - and Australia's - clean energy sector.
The policies he's promised to pursue - including tearing up the $400-billion Inflation Reduction Act - would be incredibly detrimental to the United State's clean energy economy, forcing global investors to look elsewhere.
At the moment, the global investment crucial for Australia's energy transition, is being siphoned away by the colossal fund.
The staggering $400-billion war chest of tax breaks and subsidies for clean energy projects makes the US a far more attractive destination for investors compared to Australia's $1.3-billion commitment.
This lack of ambition sends a clear signal - Australia is not serious about clean energy. International investors have told Australian businesses as much.
The Australian government should not sit back and wait - or even count on - Mr Trump to win for the sake of our clean energy sector.
These large-scale economic decisions can be difficult for the majority of the population to digest, but it boils down to this age-old mantra: build it and they will come.
The Port of Newcastle, along with other Australian clean energy projects, are not pipe dreams. Kepco, a South Korean energy giant, plans to commence hydrogen production at the Port's precinct in 2028.
These projects hold immense potential for job creation, economic diversification, and environmental sustainability. However, without strong government support, they risk being sidelined.
Let's learn from the US and Japan. Let's stop being bystanders and become leaders in the clean energy revolution.
The time for action is now. We must invest in our clean energy future before the opportunity slips through our fingers.
