Why Fossil Fuels Still Dominate: The Infrastructure Advantage Over Renewables

Doug McIntyre and David Callaway discuss why oil, gas, and coal continue to dominate the energy sector despite the global push for renewables. Callaway highlights that existing infrastructure gives fossil fuels a major advantage—many coal plants and refineries, even if shuttered for years, can be restarted relatively quickly. In contrast, renewable energy projects require entirely new installations, which take years to develop. With an ongoing energy crunch, fossil fuel infrastructure remains a crucial fallback.