WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Energy said its work on clean energy innovation is putting the United States in the lead in the race toward a greener economy.
Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman said clean energy initiatives backed by the White House under a federal stimulus package are having a positive impact on the U.S. economy and the clean energy race.
"We are in a race to capitalize on the huge economic and job growth potential of the clean energy economy," he said in a statement. "Other countries like China are already moving aggressively to develop and deploy these technologies but with continued investments in innovation, this is a race we can win."
The White House is under fire from House Republicans over the bankruptcy of solar panel company Solyndra, which received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Energy Department. Critics said the White House was too aggressive in the plan but President Barack Obama's administration counters that aggressiveness is what's needed for a green economy.
As an economic powerhouse, Beijing is moving to include more renewable energy on the national grid. The country set a goal of increasing its solar power capacity significantly in the next five years.
Beijing's European rivals have started cutting back on solar power subsidies, meaning China is set to become a world leader in solar panel purchases.
