The Paulson Institute, Argonne National Laboratory, Energy Policy Institute at Chicago, and the Clean Energy Trust co-hosted a discussion with Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman and other leading Chicago-based experts to explore opportunities for collaboration in the US-China energy relationship. As two of the largest consumers and producers of energy in the world, the United States and China have strong interests to cooperate on numerous challenges, ranging from energy security to transitioning to cleaner energy sources. The two countries hold the biggest potential to transform the global energy landscape, ensure resource sustainability, develop technologies, and tackle climate change. Any of these challenges will be worse off without the two nations collaborating across many levels.
Within this context, the discussion covered a wide range of topics from natural gas’s growing role in the US economy, renewable energy investment, and emerging technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration. Participants also debated the role national policies and government support can play in facilitating both countries’ energy transitions. The conversation generated ideas for areas where energy cooperation between the two countries could yield tangible and positive outcomes.
