California Seeks China's Help in Going Green

By VOA
21 April, 2013

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

California Governor Jerry Brown wants to increase partnerships between his state and China. The governor traveled to China last week to seek Chinese investment in things like high-speed rail, renewable energy and electric vehicles.

The California governor spoke at China's Tsinghua University. He called for a partnership between the United States and China to develop technologies to reduce greenhouse gases.

"China has been instrumental in driving down the costs, and making available that technology. So there is a real connection."

Mr. Brown met with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and China's minister of environmental protection, Zhou Shengxian. Mr. Brown and Mr. Zhou signed a nonbinding agreement to share information about policies to reduce pollution. Pollution is a leading concern in Beijing, where officials advise people to stay indoors when air pollution levels peak.

California's biggest city, Los Angeles, has successfully reduced its smog problem. Its efforts included improving its vehicle emission standards, and offering special incentives or rewards for clean energy policies.

Last year California held its first auction of carbon credits under the state's greenhouse gas reduction law. The law forces big polluting industries to buy credits to release carbon dioxide, methane and related gases.

Governor Brown also hopes to create 20,000 new megawatts of renewable electricity by 2020.

Mike Hart is CEO of Sierra Energy, a green energy company.

"Electric vehicles, we're looking at fuel cell vehicles. And also biofuels. And a lot of those areas where the technology needs to be advanced but we need a whole new infrastructure."

To achieve those goals California is seeking help from China. State-backed industries in the country have made gains in reducing the cost of green technologies such as solar panels and electric buses.

Governor Brown says his trip was an appeal for increased trade with China. Green technology is just one of the industries the California governor is interested in working on.

"We are looking for investments into California of any kind. And we're looking for sales from California into China of any kind. So we're looking for partnerships."

California-based environmental scientists and representatives from environmental consulting firms also attended Governor Brown's speech in Beijing. They say their work is increasingly directed at China. That is because rising air pollution levels in that country have created a market for solutions to the problems.

Former Chinese vice president -- now president -- Xi Jinping visited Los Angeles in February. He also called for an increase in economic and cultural ties between the United States and China.

And that's the Technology Report from VOA Learning English. I'm June Simms.