by Rebecca Walker — November 20, 2009—President Barack Obama and China’s President Hu Jintao announced on November 17 a far-reaching package of measures to strengthen cooperation between the United States and China on clean and renewable energy.
The presidents began by establishing a U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center to facilitate joint research and development of clean energy technologies by scientists from both countries. The center will be supported by $150 million in public and private funds over the next five years, split evenly between the partners. Initial research priorities will be building energy efficiency, clean vehicles, and carbon capture and storage.
Also, building on the first-ever U.S.-China Electric Vehicle Forum in September 2009, the two leaders unveiled a U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative, which will include developing joint standards, building demonstration projects in more than a dozen cities, creating technical roadmaps, and carrying out public education projects.
The countries will also leverage private sector resources to develop clean energy projects in China through the U.S.-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP). More than 22 companies are founding members of the program. The ECP will include collaborative projects involving renewable energy, smart grids, clean transportation, green buildings, combined heat and power, energy efficiency, and clean coal.
For more information, see the press release from the Department of Energy.
