From yesterdays NY Times. Is the future of clean tech or 'green' research in the USA starting to look grim? Applied Materials is now building their most advanced Solar Cell research facilty in China and is sending their top guy(s)? to run and staff it.
China Drawing High-Tech Research From U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Mr. Pinto is the first chief technology officer of a major American tech company to move to China. The company, Applied Materials, is one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent firms.
snip
Applied Materials set up its latest solar research labs here after estimating that China would be producing two-thirds of the world’s solar panels by the end of this year.
It's probably safe to assume that the Chinese will be providing lots of junior scientists and engineers to get trained at the facility and also use it to develop new solar cell technologies. So, in a few years, will the Chinese be making more than 90% of the solar cells for the entire world instead of ONLY 66% that they are making today? But, didn’t Energy Secretary Chu announce yesterday something about how Americans should put more weatherstripping in their homes. Advanced photovoltaics research in China vs. more weatherstripping in America – they’re about the same – aren’t they?
And it's not just Solar Energy that the Chinese are planning on dominating in the very near future. Wind Energy is clearly also a target.
http://www.dallasnews.com/...
U.S. companies are getting squeezed out of the big Chinese wind-power market even as Dallas investors are bringing Chinese firms here via a big wind farm in Texas, according to a new industry report.
"They've used every measure you could possibly think of to enhance production of renewable energy equipment in China," said report author Alan Wolff
So why isn't Congress doing something about helping America regain it's leadership in clean energy technology? After all, Solar Cells (photovoltaics) were invented in the USA and the USA dominated the solar cell industry until recently. Hmmm. I wonder what happened in the the past decade that could possibly explain why the USA lost it's leadership in this clean energy technology. Sounds like yet another 'gift' from the Bush Administration.