The American Wind Energy Association says China in 2009 passed the US in new wind power installations and in manufacturing of wind turbines. It is no surprise that China has overtaken the US. It has been moving swiftly to capitalise on the clean tech revolution, while the US cannot even come up with a coherent energy policy passed by Congress. But Denise Bode, chief executive of the association, put it best:
The US still remains the largest market in cumulative capacity for the second year in a row, but here again China is hard on our heels. If this isn’t the case-closed evidence that America must have stable renewable energy poicy and hard targets in order to create jobs and revitalize our economy, I don’t know what is. China gets it, 37 other nations get it, and we still don’t. It is time to act now on a national Renewable Electricity Standard so that America can immediately create manufacturing jobs and be the world wind power leader. The economy can’t wait, job creation can’t wait, and America can’t wait.
Yet Congress seems to think it can. Congressmen are so worried about winning re-election that they cannot focus on the greater needs of the US and the world. This is when Communism begins to look good. The Chinese leaders do not have to worry so much about their popularity among the people. And they are making lots of positive, long-term moves to secure that country’s position in the clean energy economy.
US President Barack Obama is pushing for Congress to act. He knows the US is missing this opportunity to be a clean energy leader. In his own words:
Now, I happen to believe that we should pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill. It will make clean energy the profitable kind of energy, and the decision by other nations to do this is already giving their businesses a leg up on developing clean energy jobs and technologies… We can’t afford to spin our wheels while the rest of the world speeds ahead.
Unfortunately, that is already happening.
Related links:
The renewables race: The winner is (possibly) China! (FT Energy Source)
