Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
12/12/2014
The United States will kick off in April 2015 a Business Development Mission to China focused on clean energy technology, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced this week. The mission will help U.S. companies develop or expand business in China in various energy related areas, including carbon capture utilization and storage, green buildings, building energy retrofitting, building management, green data centers, energy efficiency technologies, clean air and water technologies, waste treatment technologies, smart grid and green transportation. “This mission will deepen our cooperation to promote a low-carbon economy by expanding U.S. company exports in China and helping to facilitate their involvement in Smart City planning and deployment of cutting-edge clean energy technologies,” Moniz said in a release.
The trade mission is a facet of the recently announced clean energy agreement between the United States and China. Under the agreement, the United States has committed to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and China has committed to setting targets to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and to increase non-fossil fuel energy production to 20 percent of their energy mix by 2030.
The mission will be held April 12-17 during which time a delegation consisting of 20-25 senior executives from U.S. firms will travel to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to the proposed timeline. Businesses interested in the trade mission must complete an application due by Jan. 23, 2015. “China will continue to have tremendous energy needs as the country urbanizes and grows its middle class, and American companies have the expertise necessary to serve as partners in building clean and efficient infrastructure,” Pritzker said in the release.