China moving ahead of the U.S. in wind and solar power

Chris

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May 30, 2008
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — The world's solar companies gathered here recently amid the nation's largest solar market under a brilliant sun – and the looming shadow of China.
China leads the world in making solar cells, the key component in solar panels, many of which are exported to the U.S.

But China is setting itself up to do more than just manufacture components for renewable energy, such as wind and solar. It's also spending heavily to build its own domestic market as it attempts to battle its greenhouse gas emissions, electrify its nation of 1.3 billion people and curb its massive pollution problem.

The buildup of a huge market in China for renewable energy is luring global manufacturers and research teams to China, energy executives say. That's causing concern in some corners that China – not the U.S. – will emerge as the hub of the new industries, leaving the U.S. as dependent on foreign nations for solar panels, wind turbines and other green-energy equipment and technology as it is on the Mideast for oil.

"The Chinese government has recognized that these industries are the 21st century's industries of importance, and it wants to be the Silicon Valley of renewables," says Alan Salzman, CEO of U.S.-based VantagePoint Venture Partners, which specializes in clean energy and clean tech investments.

He says the U.S. hasn't been as clear or as determined as China, a stance echoed by Energy Secretary Steven Chu in testimony before a Senate committee last month.

While China spends about $9 billion a month on clean energy development, the U.S. "has fallen behind," Chu said. He noted that the world's largest turbine-making company is headquartered in Denmark, that 99% of batteries for America's hybrid cars are made in Japan and that the U.S. has lost most of its solar cell manufacturing industry.

China pushes solar, wind power development - USATODAY.com
 
Good...They have plenty of money to waste.

It's not a waste.

They won't have to import oil from the Middle East.

Oh yes, because solar panels and oil are interchangeable. :cuckoo:

Technologically, they are. One creates huge debts for our nation to some people that are not at all nice, the other provides jobs here in the US, and spreads the money around.

Of course, to a Conservative, creating more jobs in the US, spreading the money around, and not subsudizing foriegn potentatese is an anthema.
 
It's not a waste.

They won't have to import oil from the Middle East.

Oh yes, because solar panels and oil are interchangeable. :cuckoo:

Technologically, they are. One creates huge debts for our nation to some people that are not at all nice, the other provides jobs here in the US, and spreads the money around.

Of course, to a Conservative, creating more jobs in the US, spreading the money around, and not subsudizing foriegn potentatese is an anthema.

yeah, those jobs are great while they last.

then they move to china.

i blame that damn conservative, deval patrick, for giving these charlatans $58MM.

and the chinese are splendid fellows in comparison to the arabs, too, i'm glad we're subsidizing them instead. :cuckoo:

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - A solar panel company is moving some jobs overseas after receiving $58 million in state aid and being touted by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as a symbol of the state's economic future

Solar panel company moves jobs to China | WWLP.COM
 
No kidding, del. Currently all of our electricity is made right here in our country, as is the electricity for most countries. Nuclear is from here, coal is from here, natural gas is from here, hydro is from here, and that accounts for most of our electricity. Solar panels are from China, or will be if they aren't already.

How exactly is electricity interchangeable with oil?
 
Windmills are also now made in China. So much for alternative energy making us energy independent. It will only serve to makes dependent on China for our electricity, reducing our energy independence by HALF! IN OTHER WORDS WE WILL GO FROM BEING DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN COUNTRIES ONLY FOR OIL TO DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN COUNTRIES FOR ALL OF OUR ENERGY, ELECTRICITY INCLUDED! GREAT!

Huge Texas Wind Farm's Turbines Will Be Made in China | Popular Science
 
No kidding, del. Currently all of our electricity is made right here in our country, as is the electricity for most countries. Nuclear is from here, coal is from here, natural gas is from here, hydro is from here, and that accounts for most of our electricity. Solar panels are from China, or will be if they aren't already.

How exactly is electricity interchangeable with oil?

It is interchangeable in that much of our electricity is made from burning oil and if we substitute alternative electrical generation for that oil produced electricity we reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
 
No kidding, del. Currently all of our electricity is made right here in our country, as is the electricity for most countries. Nuclear is from here, coal is from here, natural gas is from here, hydro is from here, and that accounts for most of our electricity. Solar panels are from China, or will be if they aren't already.

How exactly is electricity interchangeable with oil?

It is interchangeable in that much of our electricity is made from burning oil and if we substitute alternative electrical generation for that oil produced electricity we reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

It actually doesn't. Almost no electricity comes from burning oil. The chart shows 1.6% of our electricity comes from petroleum. There are a few old diesel plants around but they aren't being added to nor are they likely to be destroyed because someone has a solar panel. I don't consider 1.6% to be MUCH of our electricity. In fact I consider it to be negligible. Most of these plants are in rural areas or on universities, at least in my understanding.

Electricity in the United States - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy
 
First, Chris, thank you for a useful thread. It serves two very useful purposes.
It made all of us aware that our nation remains a house divided even on common sense issues and that many of our fellow citizens choose to remain willfully ignorant.
Sadly, the "drill baby drill" propaganda has worked on the small minds of the Conservative Chic, many of whom cannot put aside their prejudices and untested beliefs. Reading the posts above is a reminder to all of us that the task for our nation is long and we will confront many challenges, not the least being the hate and fear which motivates many of those who call themselves conservative or independent.
Chris, remember that those who posted above with sarcasm and idiotgrams are not rational, they respond on many threads solely by emotion.
 
^^^
Stereotype straight out of a psych textbook. :lol:

Evidence based classification, Dude. The basis for a hypothesis which each day moves closer and closer to highly probable.
Maybe if you were to (even once) post a substantive message on an important issue facing our nation that was not sarcastic or arrogant, offer an opinion evidence based on which direction our nation ought to go and how, or even offer a rational response to another poster, you might not be so easily pigeonholed.
I suspect talking points are the outer limits of your ability - sad for you.
 
1.6% is still a lot of oil.

I think it was double that a decade earlier, it will be lower in another decade. If you really think that is a lot of oil I don't suppose I could argue with you so we'll just have to disagree.

While I can agree that it might be cool if those plants went away and were replaced with nuclear plants or clean coal, I'm not in favor of the government outlawing them and having them replaced with solar power or anything else. They are going away on their own, why worry about it.

If we are talking about energy independence, saving the oil which creates a tiny portion of our total usage like electrical generation seems to be an extremely frivolous way to go about attaining such a goal.
 
^^^
Stereotype straight out of a psych textbook. :lol:

Evidence based classification, Dude. The basis for a hypothesis which each day moves closer and closer to highly probable.
Maybe if you were to (even once) post a substantive message on an important issue facing our nation that was not sarcastic or arrogant, offer an opinion evidence based on which direction our nation ought to go and how, or even offer a rational response to another poster, you might not be so easily pigeonholed.
I suspect talking points are the outer limits of your ability - sad for you.
"Evidence" based upon projection, skippy.

There are few here who are a bigger living stereotype of the pissed off, self-righteous, leftist hack loon than you.

I suggest a 'scrip for a psychotropic, if you already aren't taking them.
 

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