Gen Z Is Getting Realistic About Energy

The kids are growing out of their Greta Thunberg era.

For years, the youth led the climate conversation — organizing school walkouts, sharing colorful infographics, and heckling Democratic lawmakers from the left. The tone was carried by urgency and moral judgement: “We have 12 years left.” Anything less than net zero emissions was seen as a betrayal.

But now, as Gen Zers and younger millennials enter full-fledged adulthood — paying rent, dealing with utility bills, job-hunting and even starting families — they are souring on climate alarmism. Affordability concerns are giving way to a sense of realism about energy and the environment, as abstract climate goals and financially impractical policies fall by the wayside.

Despite activist narratives, a majority of voters — including over half of Gen Z and millennials — support the use of fossil fuels and even nuclear energy. While true preservation still ranks as their top environmental priority, economic concerns with employment, growth and prices far outweigh the lofty goal of “carbon neutrality.”