I’ve  met with researchers, entrepreneurs and students across the country and I can say without hesitation that the United States is the world’s most innovative country. At those same meetings, I’ve also learned firsthand about obstacles that clean energy entrepreneurs face.

To compete in the global economy, we need to unleash the creativity and ingenuity of our citizens in high-growth markets like clean energy. We also need to remove unnecessary barriers to startups – to increase the chances for a clean energy entrepreneur to be successful in starting and scaling a high-growth business.

Trillions of dollars will be invested in clean energy over the coming decades. Countries around the world recognize this enormous economic opportunity and are racing to get ahead. Our country faces a simple choice: we can develop and produce clean energy technologies today or we can import them tomorrow.

President Obama believes that the United States can, must and should lead the world in clean energy and he wants to make sure that our businesses are in the best position to be successful. Earlier this year, he launched the Startup America initiative to promote entrepreneurship in key areas like energy and to make it easier for America’s innovators to turn a great idea into a great business.  

Now the Startup America Policy Challenge is looking to tap into our greatest resource – the American people – for ideas on how we can accelerate innovation in energy and position the United States to lead in this critical sector.  America’s entrepreneurs are on the front lines of the global clean energy race, and the Department of Energy andthe Administration want to hear from you about the barriers that are standing in your way and whatwe can do to help remove them.  

Through Quora, an idea-sharing platform, you can share your thoughts and ideas directly with senior Administration officials. Specifically, we are interested in your answers to these questions:

• What do you see as the primary barriers to moving clean energy technologies and innovations into the market place?
• What policy tools do you recommend to dismantle these barriers in order to grow the U.S. clean energy sector?

The stakes are too high for the United States to miss out on the clean energy opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you about how we can move ahead in clean energy and lead in the 21st century.

A word cloud of feedback from the Advise the Advisor program gives greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in your feedback (by Wordle.net)

Earlier this month, I asked the public for feedback on energy policy as part of the White House’s “Advise the Advisor” program.  Specifically, we asked for your comments and ideas about President Obama’s goal of reducing the amount of oil we import by a third in a little over a decade, along with the need to both increase our domestic energy production and reduce energy waste.

Thousands of you offered suggestions on how we can be more efficient and rely more on America’s clean energy resources.  Here is a summary what we heard from you:

Produce More Energy Here at Home

Many of you responded that we need to increase the amount of energy we produce here at home.  Some respondents said that we have to do this without disrupting the environment. Lee from New Mexico said:

Let's drill more oil wells in EXISTING leases. NO drilling in wilderness areas or threatened  wildlife habitats. 

The Obama Administration is developing incentives to encourage the timely development of oil and gas resources from existing and future leases.  According to a Department of Interior report, 57 percent of all leased onshore acres and 70 percent of offshore leased acres are neither being explored nor developed.  Taxpayers have a right to expect that companies given access to public lands for oil and gas development will develop the resources efficiently or step aside to allow other companies to do so, and we will provide both carrots and sticks to encourage oil companies to act.

When it comes to America’s energy future, the continued production of oil and gas from America’s domestic resources is a vital part of our energy solutions. We have already made progress: Last year, oil production rose to its highest level in seven years. At the same time, we need to ensure that we harness these resources safely and responsibly. 

Make Our Transportation Sector More Efficient

Many respondents emphasized the need to increase the fuel efficiency of our vehicles to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Margaret from Texas said:

Push hard on fuel efficiency in new vehicles -- that's the easiest way for consumers to improve automotive fuel efficiency. Push harder on industrial fuel efficiency -- that should inspire innovation to reduce fuel use. Efficient is better than cheap in the long run.

Increasing fuel efficiency is critical to breaking our dependence on oil and securing control of our energy future. Last year, the Obama Administration announced ground-breaking fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks that will save consumers money while reducing oil consumption by 1.8 billion barrels.

In addition to improving vehicle efficiency, we are also working to reduce oil dependence by promoting electric vehicles, developing advanced biofuels and encouraging the use of natural gas vehicle fleets.

Use Electricity More Efficiently

To build a clean energy future, we also need to make our homes and businesses more energy efficient.  Peter from New York said that the federal government can help by:

Continuing to offer tax breaks for the installation of energy efficient appliances in homes and small businesses is a must. We also hear a lot about appliances such as TVs and computers being power hogs where they draw power even when not in use. Can there be a way for manufacturers to create circuitry allowing appliances to become smarter and shut off the current draw when not in use?

The Department of Energy is improving and enforcing appliance standards to drive innovation and make appliances more energy efficient.  This is a great way to save energy – and save consumers money. 

For example, in 1977, California approved landmark efficiency standards for refrigerators, air conditioners, and freezers.  The resulting improvement in the efficiency of refrigerators is responsible for energy savings today greater than all the non-hydro renewable power generation in the U.S.  Meanwhile, since the 1970s, the inflation-adjusted cost of refrigerators has dropped by about half while energy consumption was simultaneously reduced by more than 75 percent.

The efficiency standards that the Department has finalized since January 2009 are projected to save consumers between $250 billion and $300 billion over the next 20 years.  There are also easy steps we can take to save energy, like putting computers in sleep mode when you’re not using them. 

In addition to appliances, there are enormous opportunities to save money by upgrading the efficiency of buildings through steps like improving insulation and installing energy efficient windows. Over the next several years, we want to help millions of American families seize the opportunity to cut their utility bills by making their homes and appliances more energy efficient while increasing comfort.

Diversify Our Sources of Electricity

We also heard from many of you about the opportunities to promote clean sources of electricity. President Obama has set an ambitious but achievable goal of doubling our generation of electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. This includes renewables like wind, solar and hydro along with clean coal, natural gas, and safe nuclear power.   We have launched groundbreaking research and development projects in areas ranging from thin film solar power to carbon capture and sequestration. 

• Renewable Energy
  Many of you said we need to continue to incentivize renewable energy. Wendy from Colorado said we need:

  
  An ‘Apollo Project’ to research, fund and develop solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy production.

  The Department of Energy supports cutting-edge research and development of renewable energy technologies.  For example, we’ve launched a SunShot initiative to reduce the total costs of solar photovoltaic energy systems by about 75 percent so that they are cost-competitive with any other form of energy without subsidies before the end of the decade. Our goal is sponsor research and development that will lead to the deployment of renewable energy where the levelized cost of energy is competitive with the cost of any other form of energy. Concurrently, we have a critical role in helping create an energy transmission, distribution and storage system to take full advantage of these developments.  Achieving this goal will be good for our environment – and our economy.

• Nuclear Power
  Nuclear power received many comments, particularly in light of the recent tragedy in Japan.  John from New Jersey saw nuclear energy as a vital part of our energy mix:
  

  
  Replace oil-fired power stations with modern and safe nuclear power stations.  When you factor in the wars we fight to protect our oil supply, the safety record of nuclear is acceptable. We have the smarts to design nuclear reactors that shut down safely. Let's use those smarts.

  President Obama and I believe that safe nuclear power has an important role to play in our energy mix as we move to a clean energy future.  Already, nuclear power provides one fifth of our electricity – the largest carbon free energy source we have.  The Department of Energy is supporting the development of sophisticated computer simulation and design tools that can increase the safety and efficiency of current and future nuclear power plants. The American people should have full confidence that the United States has rigorous safety regulations in place to ensure that our nuclear power is generated safely and responsibly.

Thank you again for your comments and feedback.  By leading in clean energy, we can create millions of new jobs.  You can read about more of our plans in the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future that President Obama recently released.  I invite you to continue the conversation with me on Facebook.com/StevenChu.

The loan will support two units of the Blythe Solar Power Project that will have a combined 484 megawatt generating capacity. These units are part of a larger project, sponsored by Solar Trust of America, that when completed will generate 1,000 megawatts of solar power, enough to power 95,000 homes a year.

The project is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and is estimated to avoid more than 710,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from more than 123,000 vehicles.

The Department's loan guarantees play a critical role in facilitating the large-scale deployment of innovative clean energy technologies. Including loans for advanced vehicle technologies, the Department has committed financing to support 27 clean energy projects that will create or save more than 60,000 jobs across the U.S.

Today, we are in a global race to develop and deploy clean energy technologies.  We can either sit on the sidelines and watch the competition pass us by or we can get in the race and play to win. 

When we rev up the great American innovation machine, we can out-compete any other nation.

To spur innovation and grow the domestic clean energy market, President Obama has proposed doubling the amount of electricity we generate from clean energy sources by 2035. Investments in projects like the Blythe Solar Power Project will help meet this goal while creating jobs and positioning the U.S. to lead in the solar industry. 

Steven Chu is the United States Secretary of Energy.

Today, the Department announced that a research team at our BioEnergy Science Center achieved yet another advance in the drive toward next generation biofuels: using a microbe to convert plant matter directly into isobutanol.  Isobutanol can be burned in regular car engines with a heat value higher than ethanol and similar to gasoline.  This is part of a broad portfolio of work the Department is doing to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and create new economic opportunities for rural America.
 
This announcement is yet another sign of the rapid progress we are making in developing the next generation of biofuels that can help reduce our oil dependence.  This is a perfect example of the promising opportunity we have to create a major new industry based on bio-material such as wheat and rice straw, corn stover, lumber wastes, and plants specifically developed for bio-fuel production that require far less fertilizer and other energy inputs.  But we must continue with an aggressive research and development effort.
 
America's oil dependence -- which leaves hardworking families at the mercy of global oil markets -- won't be solved overnight.  But the remarkable advance of science and biotechnology in the past decade puts us on the precipice of a revolution in biofuels.  In fact, biotechnologies, and the biological sciences that provide the underlying foundation, are some of the most rapidly developing areas in science and technology today - and the United States is leading the way. In the coming years, we can expect dramatic breakthroughs that will allow us to produce the clean energy we need right here at home.  We need to act aggressively to seize this opportunity and win the future.

Learn more from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy.

During a two-hour discussion, I heard excitement for the opportunities offered by the President’s agenda. Folks around the room supported the President’s bold goal of generating 80 percent of America’s electricity from clean sources by 2035. As I told the group, a Clean Energy Standard would create a guaranteed market for clean energy, one in which the best technologies and the most innovative approaches will break through and find investment capital that might have otherwise sat on the sidelines.

By growing the domestic market for clean energy, we’ll create jobs and nurture our clean energy industries, including manufacturing, so we can compete in the rapidly growing global clean energy economy.

But there is still more work to be done. As members of the discussion pointed out, we can’t become complacent. We need to continue to improve how we support small businesses, and make sure they have a level shot at getting the research and development investments they need to fund their cutting-edge ideas and bring them to market.

We must also continue to champion entrepreneurs in Ohio and across America. Their innovative thinking is key to winning the future and ensuring that we’re exporting, not importing, the clean energy technologies of the future.

If you are a current or aspiring small business owner, I invite you to continue the discussion on my Facebook page. Let me know what you think the Administration can to do to accelerate the growth of the clean energy industry and stimulate private sector investment in the jobs of the future, and I’ll make sure to keep listening.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy

Sometimes when one gets so focused on the daily tasks at hand, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture around us. But when you take a step back, it is an impressive canvass. Thanks to the hard work of everyone at the Department of Energy over the past year, we’ve made remarkable progress in laying the foundation for a new energy future, advancing groundbreaking science, and reducing the nuclear dangers facing the world. In the process, we’ve begun to change the way the Department does business so we accomplish our work more efficiently and more effectively.

The steps we’ve taken have put America on the course that leads to a clean energy future and millions of new jobs. Through the Recovery Act, we awarded more than $32 billion to promote clean energy and put our citizens to work. In just two years, we’ve laid the groundwork for a strong advanced vehicle manufacturing industry and put America on track to double our renewable energy generation. We’ve toughened and enforced appliance standards that will save consumers more than $250 billion, and we’ve helped more than 300,000 families weatherize their homes so they can save money on their monthly energy bills. More than 2.5 million smart meters – which provide consumers with realtime data about their energy use -- have been deployed as we embark on what will become the most significant investment in electrical grid since it was pioneered by Thomas Edison. From extending commitments to the country’s largest solar thermal plant to the world’s largest wind farm to America’s first new nuclear power plant in 30 years, our momentum is real and tangible.

We are also expanding the frontiers of science to spur innovation and position the United States to lead in the global race for clean energy. With funding for the first time from the Recovery Act, we quickly set up the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), to support transformative research. We launched three Energy Innovation Hubs and dozens of Energy Frontier Research Centers to accelerate energy innovation. And we began to take a strategic approach to how we fund research and development. From a car battery with a 500 mile range to producing gasoline from sunlight, we have unleashed bold new research efforts that – if successful – could fundamentally change the way we use and produce energy. This includes the world’s largest and most comprehensive effort to develop, test and deploy carbon capture and sequestration technologies that are crucial to avoiding the worst effects of climate change.

Finally, our work has strengthened nuclear safety and security at home and abroad. We permanently cleaned up 235 square miles of contaminated land – an area 10 times the size of Manhattan Island – and collected enough debris and contaminated soil to fill more than 350 Olympic-sized swimming pools. And we have taken steps to improve project management so we can continue the momentum. Since President Obama outlined an ambitious nuclear nonproliferation and security agenda in Prague, we have secured enough loose nuclear material to make more than 800 warheads and ensure improved security at hundreds of sites around the world. We also played a central role in organizing April’s historic Nuclear Security Summit, which brought together 47 world leaders to agree on effective national and international measures to secure nuclear material and prevent nuclear smuggling. And we made the world a safer place by helping negotiate the New START Treaty – the most significant arms control agreement in nearly two decades – and by supporting the effort to get it ratified by providing the Senate with assurances about the modernization of our nuclear security enterprise.

This weekend, communities across the country celebrated National Weatherization Day, highlighting the important work happening nationwide to save money for America’s homeowners by investing in energy efficiency.  As a result of the Recovery Act weatherization program, more than 245,000 low-income families have had their homes upgraded, which means these families are paying lower energy bills every month.  The program has also helped to put thousands of workers on the job every day, helping to grow America’s clean energy economy while improving our energy independence and reducing pollution.  To all those involved in the success of this program, congratulations and we look forward to your continued good work in the months and years ahead.

Watch the video to get a firsthand look at the work happening in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania under the weatherization program.

Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy.

Some people think our economy can run on white collar and service jobs alone, but they are wrong.  We can and must make high quality products in America.  We are on the verge of a new Industrial Revolution and I believe it will revolve around the greatest untapped opportunity of our time, clean energy. China and Europe see this opportunity and they are already moving aggressively to be at the forefront of it. It is time for America to get into the clean energy race and play to win -- and that is exactly what A123 Systems is doing in Michigan.

At a difficult time for America’s workers and businesses, A123 Systems is leading the way to a brighter future. It is building factories in Livonia, Romulus, and Brownstown. It has already has hired 200 local workers since last August and it expects to hire more than 3,000 people by 2012. Today marks an important milestone for A123 Systems, as they open largest lithium-ion automotive battery production facility in North America. This will help make sure the cars of the future are built right here in America.

This particular project is important because it has managed to link innovation in America to manufacturing in America, an essential connection that has been neglected in recent years.

We are – and have long been – the world leader in innovation. To give just a few examples from the last century: we created the laser, the solar cell, the transistor, and GPS technology. Historically, we’ve also been a powerhouse in manufacturing. But where are high tech products made today? They are largely manufactured in Asia.

With A123 Systems, the private sector, government and academia have all worked together to reverse that trend.

President Obama recognized that earlier today in a call he placed to the employees of A123 systems, lauding them for being the “first American factory to start high-volume production of advanced vehicle batteries.”

This is noteworthy because as he stated “just a few years ago American businesses could only make 2 percent of the world’s advanced batteries for hybrids and electric vehicles.” But thanks to the work being done at companies like A123 Systems and funding from the Recovery Act we’re poised “to get up to 40 percent of the world’s capacity” by 2015.

Instead of watching a technology be discovered here and then shipped overseas, we fought to keep it here. And we are winning.

In the weeks ahead, more American battery manufacturing plants will be coming online thanks in large part to the Recovery Act, which funded a healthy competition among 9 battery makers, 11 battery suppliers, and 10 component makers. These new factories are already driving down battery costs faster than anyone thought – which means more car sales, more jobs, and less dependence on foreign oil.

The Department of Energy has long been charged with accelerating energy innovation in America. But in this Administration, we are taking things one step further – we are making that critical link between innovation and manufacturing.

A123 Systems is a perfect example of what’s possible when the private sector, government, and academia work together.

Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy

Under an agreement between the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior, the federal government is dedicating more than 25 square miles to solar energy research - an area larger than Manhattan. This will allow us to demonstrate technologies at a much larger scale than could be done in a lab. We are particularly excited about the future of Concentrating Solar Power, or CSP. CSP uses mirrors to concentrate the Sun's rays and then uses the resulting heat to produce electricity. By storing that heat in molten salt, these plants can produce clean power even after the sun has gone down.

For a more detailed overview of CSP technology, watch the video below.  

Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy

With longstanding support from the Department of Energy, and under the direction of Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi , this Center at Georgia Tech has become a premier site for silicon PV research in the U.S.  The company that evolved from this work – Suniva – is an American success story.

Suniva has created more than 150 clean energy jobs manufacturing high-efficiency silicon solar cells and modules, using technology developed at UCEP.  Fifty of those jobs are the direct result of a clean energy tax credit that was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

America pioneered solar PV technology, and, as recently as the mid-1990s we had about 45 percent of the world market share, but we have let that lead slip away.  Today, we have only about 5 percent of the world market.  The U.S. needs to jump back into the clean energy race and play to win.  That is the work we have started with investments like the Recovery Act and companies like Suniva.   In fact, last year, Suniva exported more than 90 percent of its product to Asia and Europe.

This center and this company are powerful examples of how clean energy technology can drive job creation in the U.S. and increase our competitiveness.

Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy

First Lady Michelle Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu with the winning teams, North Carolina School of Science and Mathmatics, left, and Albuquerque Academy, right, at the 20th Annual National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. May 3, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

I have been going to Science Bowls for many years, and I always come away hopeful for America's future.  I know the First Lady would agree that the knowledge and dedication of these students is inspiring. Read the First Lady's remarks here.

Competitions like this one are important because America's leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today.  We need a bold new generation of scientists and engineers to make America competitive in this century.  Only by having our best and brightest young people pursue careers in science and engineering can America compete for the high-wage, high-tech jobs of the 21st century.  We also face an unprecedented challenge to our very way of life from a changing climate, and we need this generation to help find new solutions to the energy and climate problem. In fact, all of the great challenges we will face in this century will require science and innovation to meet them.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu ask the championship round bonus point questions at the Department’s 20th Annual National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. May 3, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Members of the middle school team from Albuquerque Academy answer a question during the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. May 3, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Students, coaches and parents takes photos of First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Science in Washington, D.C. May 3, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy
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Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy

I recently traveled to the Middle East on behalf of the Department of Energy. During my time in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, I had the opportunity to engage with leaders of science and industry, visit universities, finalize agreements with other Energy ministers, and see several innovative energy projects firsthand. I was struck by the many opportunities for collaboration among our countries. There is a shared belief that we all must invest in cleaner, alternative sources of energy, while at the same time finding ways to use fossil fuels more efficiently and cleanly. The U.S. wants to be a partner in these efforts, so that, together, we can ensure our prosperity and protect the planet for future generations. 

That potential for collaboration is especially apparent in education, which is a key priority for all countries. For example, six American universities already have campuses in "Education City" in Qatar, focusing on a broad range of subjects, such as medicine and business, as well as science and engineering.

During my time in Education City, I had the chance to sit down with an exceptional student named Thouria Mahmoud, who is currently studying journalism at Northwestern University's campus. She represents a generation that is excited by the possibilities that scientific innovation holds for their future - and the role they can play in shaping that future.

That excitement was the catalyst for much of our conversation. As you can see in the clip below, I shared some experiences from my own academic journey and why I feel science is at the heart of a liberal arts education. I hope you take the chance to view this video and share some insights on your own academic journey and how education can continue to advance our common interests.

Steven Chu is the Secretary of Energy

Today in Washington, we're hosting the first-ever ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit.  We're bringing together some of our nation's brightest minds in science, engineering, and business to focus on tackling the energy problem.  Through the ARPA-E program, we are funding cutting-edge technologies that could provide game-changing breakthroughs.  We're trying to hit home runs, not base hits.

This video showcases one of the projects we funded in the first round of applications: Sun Catalytix.  Sun Catalytix is developing a unique technology that mimics photosynthesis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.  Check it out:

Steven Chu is Secretary of Energy

The auto industry has always been the backbone of American manufacturing, and we continue to need a strong auto industry in America.  Right now, however, 98 percent of the batteries that power America's hybrid cars are made by Japanese companies.  Revitalizing the auto industry will require change and innovation to produce the fuel efficient cars that consumers demand.  That’s why today was so important – not just for one company, but for the entire country.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu (left center) talks with General Motors Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre (center) and other elected officials after the first Chevrolet Volt battery came off the assembly line at the GM Brownstown Battery plant in Brownstown Township, Michigan. The facility is the first lithium ion battery pack manufacturing plant in the U.S. operated by a major automaker. January 7, 2010. (by Jeffrey Sauger for General Motors)

The Department of Energy has been proud to partner with GM in developing this battery.  Overall, the Department of Energy has invested $266 million to help develop the Volt’s battery technology.  That includes nearly $106 million from the Recovery Act that helped fund the battery facility we were in today.  We announced this money just five months ago, and it is already putting people to work.

Nationwide, the Recovery Act invested $2.4 billion in advanced battery and electric vehicle projects.  Over the next six years, this investment will help lead to three new electric vehicle plants – the first ever in the U.S. – and 30 new battery-related manufacturing plants like the one I was at today.

By changing how we power our vehicles, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, clean up the air we breathe and cut down on carbon pollution.  Most importantly, we can and will create new jobs and new industries right here in America.

Steven Chu is Secretary of Energy

Steven Chu is Secretary of Energy

President Barack Obama and Chinese Premiere Hu Jintao review the honor guard during the welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Nov. 17, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) November 17, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao announced a series of steps the two countries are taking in this area. Let me highlight three:

First, the two Presidents announced the establishment of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center to facilitate joint work by teams of scientists and engineers from both countries. I signed the Protocol formally establishing the Center with my Chinese counterparts. China and the U.S. are committing $150 million in public and private funding to the center over five years, split evenly between the two countries.

The initial research will focus on three areas that are ripe for cooperation and crucial in the fight against climate change: energy efficient buildings, clean vehicles, and clean coal -- including carbon capture and storage. (Read the Fact Sheet: U.S.-China Cooperation on 21st Century Coal) These are also key technologies for job creation in the United States.

President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, and their delegations hold a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Nov. 17, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) November 17, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Second, President Obama and President Hu launched the U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative. (Read the Fact Sheet: U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative.)  We will be developing joint standards and public education efforts, and conducting joint demonstration projects between sister cities in the United States and China. Like the U.S., China is heavily dependent on oil imports, so this work is in the best interests of both countries.

Third, we’ve launched a joint Action Plan on energy efficiency. (Read the Fact Sheet: U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Action Plan.)  We’ve pledged to work with each other – and with the business community – to develop energy efficient building codes and rating systems. We’ll train building inspectors and auditors who can evaluate the energy efficiency of industrial facilities and recommend improvements that pay for themselves. We’re also going to harmonize energy efficiency test procedures and performance metrics for appliances and other products. This will not only improve efficiency but also help U.S. manufacturers get access to the Chinese market.

Historically, partnerships in science and technology have often been the leading edge of diplomacy – and that is certainly true with China. More than 30 years ago, the very first agreement we signed after normalizing relations was on science and technology. We’re building on a very strong foundation, and I believe our work will facilitate cooperation in other areas.

But this partnership will also have a direct benefit to our economy.  We have committed to co-develop technologies that will create jobs locally in both countries. As technologies are piloted in China on carbon sequestration, for example, we can apply that experience in the United States.

The race for the clean energy jobs of the future is on, and China is moving quickly. Unless the United States takes bold action, we’ll get left behind. That not only means partnering with China where we can, but also passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation that will create a system of clean energy incentives in the United States.

Steven Chu is Secretary of Energy

Before joining President Obama in China on Monday, I am visiting India, another crucial partner for the United States as we meet the challenge of climate change and help speed the transition to a clean energy economy.

India has three times as many citizens as the United States but consumes just 15 percent as much electricity. But in the coming decades, India is likely to become the third largest energy consumer in the world, following China and the United States. In a "business as usual" future, India's demand of coal will be 60% higher than projected its domestic production. The demand for oil could be 10 times the domestic supply.

During his trip to India, Secretary Chu meets with Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia to discuss opportunities for cooperation between India and the United States on energy and climate issues. November 13, 2009. (Courtesy US Embassy, Dehli, India) November 13, 2009.

The number of vehicles in India will rise from 100 million today to 380 million by 2030, and the number of buildings – measured in square meters of floor space – will be five times what it is today.

These statistics make it all the more important that we invest in technologies like more energy efficient buildings, electric and hybrid cars, and renewable energy like wind and solar. Quite simply, we have a shared interest in ensuring that India's growth is clean and sustainable. There are tremendous opportunities for partnerships in clean energy that we've only just begun to explore.

For example, India could emerge as a major export destination for solar panels and wind turbine components manufactured in the United States.

During his trip to India, Secretary Chu meets with Sushilkumar Shinde, Minister for Power on technology cooperation ranging from cutting edge energy storage to increasing power plant efficiency and smart grids. November 13, 2009. (Courtesy US Embassy, Dehli, India) November 13, 2009.

Roughly 40 percent of India’s citizens currently go without electricity. Small wind farms and solar panels could be an ideal solution, particularly for remote and rural areas that can’t connect to the power grid. These intermittent energy sources could yield a steady, reliable flow of electricity with the help of advanced batteries currently being developed in the United States with the support of the Department of Energy. This would open up new economic opportunities in both our countries.

These are just a couple examples of how moving to a clean energy economy makes good business sense. We need a new industrial revolution in the United States and around the world. America can and should lead the way.

Steven Chu is Secretary of Energy

I hope you take a moment to watch this powerful video about the dedicated men and women who are working to improve the environment at the Savannah River Site thanks to support from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

At the Savannah River Site, located along the border of Georgia and South Carolina, workers are cleaning up the environmental legacy of the nation's nuclear weapons program. These workers have an important mission: to protect the health of our citizens and our environment.

With funding from the Recovery Act, we have been able to accelerate the clean-up at the Savannah River Site and put Americans back to work. As of October 30th, 2009, 2,295 jobs have been created or saved at this Site.

Behind this number lies the stories of thousands of hard-working Americans who have good jobs and new opportunities today because of the Recovery Act. I encourage you to watch the video and hear some of these workers tell their stories.

Steven Chu is Secretary of Energy

When we heard Energy Secretary Steven Chu was joining Facebook to start a conversation about solving today's energy challenges, we invited him to write a post to tell you about it.

I recently joined Facebook because I want to talk with you directly about solving the energy and climate change challenge and ensuring America’s leadership in a clean energy economy.  I hope you will check out my new page at http://www.facebook.com/stevenchu