The Long Road to Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China - Partnerships for Cleaner Energy Innovation

The rapid development of wind and solar energy in China has received a lot of well-deserved attention recently.  But that development has happened within the context of an even larger trend: China’s enormous build-out of new coal-fired power plants over the past decade. Current trends indicate that by 2030, roughly two-thirds of China's power will still come from fossil fuels, mainly coal.  Significantly reducing China's emissions of greenhouse gas and other pollutants will therefore require carbon capture at coal- and gas-fired power plants, in conjunction with the development of advanced nuclear and renewable generation. Speakers on this panel will discuss successful and emerging “biz-to-biz” and U.S.-China bilateral partnerships to develop cleaner energy technologies in China. The discussion will highlight some drivers and obstacles to clean energy innovation in China’s economy.

Speakers:

• Ming Sung, the Clean Air Task Force’s Chief Representative for the Asia Pacific, has been at the forefront of efforts to accelerate cleaner coal efforts by helping to forge partnerships between leading energy firms from China and the West.

• Julio Friedmann is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Clean Coal, Office of Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy. In this capacity, he is responsible for the DOE’s R&D program in advanced fossil energy systems, large demonstration projects, carbon capture, utilization, and storage, and clean coal deployment.

• Taiya Smith a Managing Partner at Garnet Strategies, LLC where she provides advice on working with China, clean energy, conservation, and climate change for nonprofit and commercial clients.