Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
Associate Professor at Hopkins/SAIS. Former White House industrial strategy economist. Industrial policy, trade, climate, economic security. Views my own. DC | SF. 🏳️🌈
Economics
40%
Political science
32%
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
Subscribe to the NEIS Substack to follow along as we develop these frameworks and share findings with the community building the future of energy and industrial policy. 9/
neiscenter.substack.com/p/green-indu...
neiscenter.substack.com/p/green-indu...
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
The NEIS Center is developing a research agenda around these questions—funding new research, curating analysis, and building practical tools for policymakers and firms. /8
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
Some insights exist in academic research but need translation for practitioners. Other questions require new investigation of natural experiments unfolding globally right now. We also need guardrails to prevent wasteful subsidy races and share best practices across countries. /7
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
These aren't academic debates—they're shaping the next decades of global industry. The answers will determine who leads in the technologies that define the 21st century. /6
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
Every major economy is subsidizing batteries, hydrogen, and EVs. Will this accelerate innovation or create overcapacity? How do you even measure success when goals span decarbonization, competitiveness, security, and regional development simultaneously? /5
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
The most pressing question may be this: When does global competition between nations drive innovation versus simply waste resources? 4/
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
How can nations build clean-tech industries amid technological uncertainty, geopolitical rivalry, and domestic politics? The NEIS Center is developing frameworks and evidence to help policymakers and practitioners answer exactly that. /3
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
Five years ago, governments were spending big to fight climate change. Now, they're spending big to win industries — in batteries, hydrogen, chips, critical minerals, and more. The framing has shifted from climate-first to competitiveness and resilience. /2
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· 18d
Industrial policy is back — and it's changing fast. What started as "green" strategy is now a global race for clean tech competitiveness and economic security. But do we actually know what works? That's what we're asking at the New Energy Industrial Strategy (NEIS) Center. /1
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Oct 8
German auto summit tomorrow.
The sole focus on the EU combustion engine phase-out, which is 10 years away, is baffling because German cars have a demand problem today
Berlin worries a new EV subsidy scheme would be fiscally too expensive.
But demand-side support is a fiscal no-brainer here.
1/
The sole focus on the EU combustion engine phase-out, which is 10 years away, is baffling because German cars have a demand problem today
Berlin worries a new EV subsidy scheme would be fiscally too expensive.
But demand-side support is a fiscal no-brainer here.
1/
Germany apparently not so sure it wants to save its auto sector by making it competitive.
Reposted by Andréas Nilsson, Jonas Nahm
German auto summit tomorrow.
The sole focus on the EU combustion engine phase-out, which is 10 years away, is baffling because German cars have a demand problem today
Berlin worries a new EV subsidy scheme would be fiscally too expensive.
But demand-side support is a fiscal no-brainer here.
1/
The sole focus on the EU combustion engine phase-out, which is 10 years away, is baffling because German cars have a demand problem today
Berlin worries a new EV subsidy scheme would be fiscally too expensive.
But demand-side support is a fiscal no-brainer here.
1/
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Oct 1
See How E.V. Road Trips Went From Impossible to Easy
There are a lot more fast chargers than there used to be. Look up what that could mean for a route near you.
www.nytimes.com
Leave it to the Times to run this story on the LAST day the tax credits for EVs are available. This would have been helpful information for Americans three months ago, or, even better, before the 2024 election!
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
12/ The proposal tests whether direct government construction and leasing can overcome business hesitation about federal partnerships. Early indications suggest companies prefer regulatory certainty to capital assistance.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
11/ The scale is ambitious: Lutnick promises "factories built in America at a scale that you have never seen before." But success depends on companies actually wanting to participate in government-backed leasing arrangements rather than traditional ownership models.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
10/ Japan's preference to avoid legally-binding agreements contrasts with US demands for written commitments. This tension over formalization reflects broader challenges in converting bilateral promises into operational frameworks.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
9/ The urgency is notable given economic context. Manufacturing employment fell 38,000 jobs through August even as the overall economy added jobs. The administration needs tangible results to validate its industrial policy approach.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
8/ Implementation also faces practical challenges. There are already disputes between US and Japanese officials about the fund's exact structure. Japan's negotiator outlined different expectations than Trump's interpretation of the $550 billion commitment.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
7/ Republican lawmakers show divided views. While some propose funneling money to agricultural assistance, others express skepticism. Senator Hagerty notes concerns about "government playing a bigger role" in manufacturing despite strategic vulnerabilities.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
6/ Some companies remain "hesitant to turn to the Trump administration for financial assistance, concerned about owing money to the government for years to come." This suggests wariness about long-term government entanglements even with favorable terms.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
5/ However, early signals suggest mixed business reception. When CEOs met Trump in the Oval Office, none requested government money. Instead, they emphasized regulatory streamlining as the key to encouraging growth, according to an attendee.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
4/ The proposal represents a new model: government constructs facilities then leases them to companies, rather than companies building their own. This gives the administration direct control over which industries receive assistance and where facilities are located.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
3/ Under the US-Japan MOU, a committee chaired by Lutnick recommends projects to Trump, who has "wide latitude" to direct investments. After 50-50 cost splits, the US retains 90% of profits. Trump can impose tariffs if Japan declines to fund selected projects.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
2/ The plan would grant preferential treatment including expedited regulatory review and access to federal land and water. Trump and Commerce Secretary Lutnick have discussed facilities for gas turbines, generic pharmaceuticals, nuclear power plants, and pipelines.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 19
1/ The administration is exploring using Japan's $550 billion fund to directly spur US factory construction through government-backed facilities that companies could lease. This marks a significant expansion of federal involvement in manufacturing.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...?
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...?
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 16
Super helpful, thank you!
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 16
But legally they have to commit to either renewal or not by July, no? On what basis could they push by a year?
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 16
18/18 Even after current bilateral negotiations on reciprocal tariffs conclude, trade uncertainty will extend into 2026 as the formal review approaches.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 16
17/18 The most probable outcome remains extension with modifications to address current disputes. However, the review creates opportunity for substantial changes if countries push for major revisions.
Jonas Nahm
@jonasnahm.com
· Sep 16
16/18 Market reactions are visible in currency movements and investment planning. The peso and Canadian dollar face pressure during trade uncertainty periods as companies prepare contingency plans.