US reaches out to China on clean energy cooperation

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz announced Monday that they will lead a business development mission to China in April 2015 that will focus on industries supporting smart cities and smart growth.

The trade mission will help US companies launch and increase their business in China in areas such as green buildings, building energy retrofitting, carbon capture utilization and storage, energy efficiency technologies, clean air and water technologies, waste treatment technologies and smart grid and green transportation, according to a statement released by the Commerce Department.

This mission is one of several efforts underway that will help strengthen and expand US-China clean energy cooperation following a joint announcement made by President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping on Nov 12 in Beijing on the two countries' post-2020 climate targets.

"As the country's chief commercial advocate, a key part of my job is helping US companies connect with business opportunities around the world, and China's energy sector holds huge potential for US firms," said Pritzker.

"As the two largest economies, energy consumers and carbon emitters, the United States and China must advance affordable clean energy, while simultaneously mitigating the long-term threat of climate change," Moniz said.

"This mission will deepen our cooperation to promote a low- carbon economy by expanding US company exports in China and helping to facilitate their involvement in Smart City planning and deployment of cutting-edge clean energy technologies," he added.

US goods exports in 2013 to China were $121.7 billion, up 10.2 percent from the previous year. Corresponding US imports from China were $440.4 billion, up 3.5 percent, according the US Department of Commerce.