Alex Cornell du Houx, a former Democratic state lawmaker from Brunswick, took to the pages of the Sun Journal this weekend to advocate for a revolutionary idea: a green energy “Marshall Plan” for Ukraine.
Invoking the post-World War II effort to rebuild Europe at America’s expense, Cornell du Houx wants to put Electric Vehicle charging stations, solar panels, and perhaps some windmills in war torn Ukraine.
“Now we need a Clean Energy Marshall Plan to help Ukraine rebuild with the security of knowing that they won’t be vulnerable to oil and gas fluctuations, and the dangers of being dependent on fossil fuels ever again,” he wrote.
Indeed, Cornell du Houx thinks America must begin immediately to deliver on Ukraine’s Green New Deal, despite the ongoing military conflict.
“It would be inhumane to wait for the end of the war, as millions of Ukrainians are suffering in frigid winter temperatures without electricity,” he wrote.
Instead of rebuilding gas stations, Cornell du Houx thinks America should, on Ukraine’s behalf, rebuild them into EV charging stations. (The country of roughly 43 million people is estimated to have almost 40,000 EVs, mostly Chinese-made.)
The U.S., with $31.5 trillion in public debt, has already given Ukraine more than $100 billion in arms and aid since the conflict with Russia started.
Cornell du Houx doesn’t address whether the the Green Energy Revolution he wants America to force on Ukraine will include electric tanks or wind-powered F-22s so that the country can defend its sovereignty in a low-carbon manner.
The country of Ukraine sits atop some of the largest proven reserves of natural gas on the planet, so convincing them to keep it in the ground will be a mighty task. However, with deep thinking geopolitical strategists like Cornell du Houx in the game, Ukraine will be decarbonized in no time at all.
Here’s the column:
