From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Audrey Streb

Several big tech companies touting a 100% renewable energy label could exacerbate America’s risk of blackouts, according to a letter led by Republican Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and signed by several other state attorneys general.

Knudsen wrote to several major tech companies on Wednesday — including Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta — stating that their claims regarding “100% renewable energy” ignore the reality that they likely still rely on a grid that is 60% powered by fossil fuels. Knudsen argues in the letter that not only are these claims misleading but also signal that intermittent sources like wind and solar are sufficient to power America’s grid, despite warnings from energy experts, grid operators and watchdogs, including the Department of Energy (DOE), that phasing out reliable energy sources could exponentially increase blackout risks.

“As a result of big tech’s misleading energy use claims, coal and natural gas plants are being shut down, putting communities across the country at an increased risk of blackouts over the next few years. In Montana, reliable energy – like fossil fuels – are a vital part of our economy and keep us warm during harsh winters,” Knudsen told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Not only is our electric grid being threatened, but the companies could be in violation of Montana law. As attorney general, I am committed to getting answers.” (RELATED: Blackouts Coming If America Continues With Biden-Era Green Frenzy, Trump Admin Warns)

2025-09-24 AG Letter to Tech Companies on REC 

After years of stagnation, energy demand is rising in the U.S. along with costs as the anticipation of power-hungry data centers looms large. Aging energy infrastructure and aggressive green energy mandates set by former President Joe Biden and several Democrats at the state level have tightened the supply of reliable, baseload power sources like coal.

Biden sought to phase out coal across America and signed off on stringent emissions goals that were set to severely strain the power grid, according to energy sector experts. In contrast, the Trump administration has moved to bolster reliable energy sources like coal and nuclear.

One July DOE report warns that America’s risk for blackouts will increase 100-fold by 2030 if the U.S. continues to shutter reliable power plants without adequate replacements. Knudsen argues in the letter that tech companies touting a 100% renewable label risk adding to blackout concerns, since it signals that the growing demand from data centers can be met solely by intermittent sources like wind and solar.

Fourteen additional Republican attorneys general signed onto the letter, including those from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, South Carolina and Wyoming.

“We are also concerned that the unrealistic claim of 100% renewable energy contributes to the present grid-reliability crisis,” the letter states. “Tech companies have not only created skyrocketing demand for electricity but also locked up relatively rare baseload sources like nuclear power for themselves, while pushing utilities towards harmful net-zero goals that require greater reliance on intermittent renewable power sources for everyone else.”

Knudsen wrote that these companies aim to, or claim to, match all of their energy use with renewable sources through the potential purchase of unbundled “renewable energy certificates” (RECs). The Montana attorney general argues that big tech’s “100% renewable” energy language stemming from these potential purchases is misleading as the companies are still relying on the fossil fuel-laden grid.

Knudsen continues to argue that these “100% renewable” claims from tech companies may have accelerated the phase-out of reliable power plants as utilities move to incentivize the proliferation of data centers through aggressive green energy goals.

Meta, Google and Microsoft did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment and Amazon referred the DCNF to its “Renewable Energy Methodology,” which confirms the company’s use of RECs.

“These utility commitments have helped contribute to the phenomenon of early retirement of coal and natural gas plants, which is raising state concerns and threatening the integrity of the electric grid,” the letter states, citing Constellation’s commitment to phasing out fossil fuels as one example. The DOE recently ordered Constellation to keep one of its oil and gas plants running to prevent blackouts, the letter notes.

Knudsen states in the letter that tech companies still rely on grid electricity, much of which comes from fossil fuels, and that many are reportedly turning to nuclear power to address their electricity supply crunch. Notably, several big tech companies like Microsoft and Google have reportedly abandoned their carbon neutrality goals after struggling to meet them, according to multiple reports.

“Big tech’s efforts to lock up nuclear power are necessary for tech companies to actually meet their net-zero commitments — commitments which are currently propped up by misleading climate marketing based on unbundled REC use,” Knudsen writes, noting that tech companies’ net-zero commitments and 100% renewable energy labels “pressure utilities to move away from fossil-fuel-generated baseload power to attract or retain big tech data center development.”

“Major tech companies use unbundled RECs to claim that they have achieved 100% renewable energy ‘use’ or ‘consumption,’ and also have reduced their emissions. Both types of claims appear to be false or deceptive. Purchasing unbundled RECs does not mean that the companies are using renewable energy, or that they are reducing emissions,” the letter states. “Because it is currently impossible to sustain the amount of energy required by data centers with renewables like wind and solar power due to their intermittent qualities, many tech companies claiming 100% renewable energy usage and hoping to move away from their reliance on unbundled RECs are looking to ‘lock up’ a more reliable form of clean energy — nuclear power.”

The Obama Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rewrote a guidance document called the “Green Guides,” updating “renewable” energy claims in 2012. Author and energy expert Alex Epstein wrote that the Obama-era guidance update allows “companies [to] falsely claim to be ‘100% renewable.’”

“It’s time to stop hundreds of companies including Apple, Google, and Meta from lying about being ‘100% renewable’ and deceiving American voters into thinking that solar and wind can power a modern economy,” Epstein wrote. “When a company says they are ‘100% renewable,’ it suggests that the company has figured out a way of just powering itself via solar and wind. People would not be impressed if they knew that the company was simply using its money to blame-shift its massive non-renewable energy use.”

Knudsen concludes the letter with 21 questions for tech companies, inquiring if they are using unbundled RECs and why several of their sustainability reports seem to contradict reality.

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By David Blackmon

In a wide-ranging speech delivered at the U.N.’s “Climate Week” on Wednesday, President Donald Trump told the assembly that European nations “immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia” before the U.S. would agree to implement further tariffs on the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Europe’s countries weren’t alone in being called out: Trump began with condemnation of China and India for continuing to be the main buyers of Russian crude.

Here is the relevant passage from the President’s speech:

“China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil. But inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products. Which, as you know, I found out about two weeks ago, and I wasn’t happy. Think of it: They’re funding the war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one?”

“In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs which would stop the bloodshed, I believe very quickly. But, for those tariffs to be effective, European nations – all of you are gathered here right now – would have to join us in adopting the exact same measures.”

“You’re much closer to this thing – we have an ocean in between, you’re right there. Europe has to step it up: They can’t be doing what they’re doing. They’re buying oil from Russia while they’re fighting Russia. It was very embarrassing to them when I found out about it, I can tell you that.”

“They have to immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia; otherwise, we’re all wasting a lot of time. So, I’m ready to discuss this, we are going to discuss this today with the European nations all gathered here. I’m sure they’re thrilled to speak about it, but that’s the way it is. I like to speak my mind and speak the truth.”

This is far from the first time in which President Trump has warned Europe’s leaders of the self-destructive nature of their dependence on Russian oil and natural gas. Indeed, during his first G20 conference in July, 2017, Trump warned European heads of state at the time that their dependency could embolden Putin’s expansionist ambitions specifically related to Ukraine.

During a breakfast meeting, the President singled out Germany over its pending approval of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which promised to expand Russia’s energy leverage related to that country and much of the rest of northwestern Europe. His remarks were met with ridicule in a speech delivered during the same conference, with the German delegates openly laughing at him.

Of course, five years later, with a much weaker U.S. president safely in place, Putin ordered his army to invade Ukraine in late February 2022, and both the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines were blown up shortly thereafter by still unidentified perpetrators. The ensuing conflict has led to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian deaths and the displacement of millions of Ukrainian citizens, ranking it as one of the largest human calamities since World War II.

Notably, no one in the U.N. assembly audience was laughing at President Trump as he spoke on Wednesday. The disaster he warned Europe’s leaders of eight years ago has come to full fruition, with even more horrific results than even Trump had envisioned, a reality no one in that assembly hall can any longer deny.

Whether European leaders are now finally prepared to end their unhealthy energy dependence on the country they claim to be their mortal enemy is anyone’s guess, but one thing is certain: None among them can ever claim they have not been warned, once again and very publicly, by this President of the United States.

David Blackmon is an energy writer and consultant based in Texas. He spent 40 years in the oil and gas business, where he specialized in public policy and communications.