U.S. Energy Secretary Urges More R&D Spending as China Surges Ahead

Noting that the U.S. is losing its edge in energy innovation to China, Energy Secretary Steven Chu called for increased investment and development of clean energy technology. The U.S.’s historical edge in scientific innovation has slipped in recent years, Chu said, with China pulling ahead in several critical areas. China now manufactures about 20 percent of high-tech exports globally, while the U.S. share has dipped below 15 percent; while most U.S. patents used to go to American companies, more than 51 percent went to non-U.S. companies in 2009; and the schools producing the largest number of students receiving PhDs in the U.S. are universities in Peking and Tsinghua. Chu urged the creation of a long-range energy plan that includes federal investment, and asked the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology to recommend steps toward transforming the nation’s energy system within two decades. This week the panel recommended that the U.S. increase its annual investment in energy research from $5 billion to $16 billion.