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July 15, 2009
“The U.S. and China are two great nations, and clean energy is one of the great opportunities of our time,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “Working together, we can accomplish more than acting alone.”
The Center will have one headquarters in each country, at locations to be determined. U.S. and Chinese officials will discuss elements of the Center in the months ahead, with the objective of launching initial operations by year end.
Science and technology have long been a cornerstone of U.S.-China cooperation. The first agreement signed between the two nations after normalization of relations in the late 1970s was on science and technology. Today, opportunities abound for U.S.-China cooperation on clean energy technologies. In particular, working together can help to more rapidly drive down the cost of the critical clean energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies needed to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
FACT SHEET: U.S.-CHINA CLEAN ENERGY RESEARCH CENTER
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Chinese Minister of Science & Technology Wan Gang and Chinese National Energy Administrator Zhang Guo Bao today announced plans to develop a U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center.
The Center would facilitate joint research and development on clean energy by teams of scientists and engineers from the U.S. and China, as well as serve as a clearinghouse to help researchers in each country. The Center would have one headquarters in each country, at locations to be determined.
The U.S. and China together pledged $15 million to support initial activities, with each government pledging equal amounts.
Priority topics to be addressed by the Center initially include building energy efficiency, clean coal (including carbon capture and storage) and clean vehicles. During the next several months, U.S. and Chinese officials will discuss elements of the Center, with a goal of launching operations by the end of the year.
BACKGROUND
- Collaboration on science and technology (S&T) has long been a cornerstone of overall U.S.-China cooperation.
- In 1979, following normalization of U.S. relations with China, the first agreement between the countries was on science and technology cooperation, signed between President Jimmy Carter and Deng Xiaoping. For 30 years, the U.S.-China S&T Cooperation Agreement has been a cornerstone of cooperation between the countries, resulting in hundreds of collaborations in all fields of S&T.
- Cooperation under the S&T framework focuses on policy, research and development, and innovation in all fields where there is mutual S&T interest. Under the framework, several million dollars are dedicated each year through agency-to-agency agreements, involving 16 U.S. government agencies.
- The Department of Energy currently manages 12 agreements with China under the S&T framework on a wide variety of energy sciences and technologies including: building and industrial energy efficiency, clean vehicles, renewable energy, nuclear energy and science, and biological and environmental research.