US lags behind China in clean energy technology race

The US has a strong market share in wind technology, but is still in fourth place, report finds

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Jun 07, 2012, 02:32 ET

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- China continues to lead the global clean energy technology manufacturing race, according to a new report commissioned by World Wildlife Fund.

The third edition of Clean Economy, Living Planet, launched earlier this week at the AWEA Windpower conference in Atlanta, ranks 25 countries based on the 2011 sales of the clean energy technology products they manufacture, such as solar panels and wind turbines.

The report says that in terms of total sales value of clean energy technology, China had the largest market, followed by the United States and Germany. Though the US ranks second to China in total sales, relative to the size of its economy the US is well behind leading countries including Denmark, China, Germany and Brazil.

"Other countries are moving on clean technology opportunities and making big investments in the industry, while US policymakers in Washington seem to be content to let all the recent growth in the US wither on the vine by not providing policy certainty and not going after growth opportunities," said Marty Spitzer, Director of US Climate Policy for WWF. "It's stable, visionary policy that's driving the market leaders to the top."

The report finds that:

US total clean technology manufacturing sales increased 17% from 2010 to 2011, a pace that has slowed from recent years (28% from 2008-2010).
The top five fastest growing markets for 2010-11 were Taiwan (+36%), China (+29%), India (+19%), South Korea (+19%) and the United States (+17%).
The US has the largest global market share in bioethanol (61%), largely because of strong federal incentives and a renewable fuels standard. In solar PV, US production rose 16%, capturing 16% of the global market.
The US has a strong market share in wind technology, but is still in fourth place with an 11% market share (a slight increase over last year's 9%), behind China, Germany and Denmark, who together have more than 60% of the global market. Despite a growth of 30% in US demand for wind turbines, wind turbine manufacturing in the United States grew by only 17% in 2011.
The US is a strong player in the global clean energy technology race, but compared to other leading countries, the US is currently under-investing in clean technology and there is a great deal of policy uncertainty, meaning it will likely lose market share in the long term.

"The view that new industries set sail on their own defies history," Spitzer said. "The US government has played a strong role in investing in and fostering new industries, from rail and coal to the oil, natural gas and nuclear industries. Clean technology industries are no different. For the near term, our clean energy manufacturing industries like wind and solar need and deserve support to maintain their growth."

"In the longer run, we need to level the playing field among energy technologies and put in place policies like a Clean Energy Standard or a carbon price to create stable, long-term demand."

Overall, the report found that in 2011, the global sales value of the clean technology sector increased by 10% to almost euro 200 billion (approximately $248.8 billion). However in comparison to 2010, the 2011 growth of that sales value is much more unevenly distributed across countries.

While sales from manufacturers in many countries in Asia and the Americas continued to increase, European manufactures have kept their sales stable or have even seen a decline in sales.

By 2015, the clean tech sector is expected to rival the oil and gas equipment market, when the forecasted market size will be between euro 240 and 290 billion, the report states. Countries that gain a strong position in clean technology manufacturing today have the best prospects to capitalize on the expected strong growth in the future.

"The long-term drivers behind growth in clean technology markets are not going away. Countries winning the clean technology manufacturing race see the growth opportunities and are going after them by building strong domestic markets through comprehensive policies," said Spitzer.

"We can't risk Washington taking a nap by the side of the road while more countries breeze by us. There's too much at stake."

The Clean Economy, Living Planet report was prepared by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and commissioned by WWF, with support from Rabobank and De Lage Landen.

About Roland Berger
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, founded in 1967, is one of the world's leading strategy consultancies. With 2,500 employees working in 49 offices in 35 countries worldwide, we have successful operations in all major international markets. The strategy consultancy is an independent partnership exclusively owned by about 220 Partners.

About Rabobank
Rabobank Group is a global financial services leader providing wholesale and retail banking, asset management, leasing, real estate services, and renewable energy project financing. Founded over a century ago, Rabobank is one of the largest and safest banks in the world, with nearly $1 trillion in assets, operations in more than 40 countries, and the highest rating among private banks by S&P and Moody's. Internationally, Rabobank is a premier bank to the food, beverage and agribusiness industry, as well as a leading financial partner in the renewable energy and infrastructure project field. www.Rabobank.com

About De Lage Landen
De Lage Landen, a fully owned subsidiary of Rabobank Group, specializes in asset-based financing programs for equipment manufacturers, dealers and distributors all over the world. DLL offers customers a single source for leasing, administration, risk and asset management solutions. DLL cares not only about our customers, but also about the communities in which it operates. DLL strives to have a positive social and environmental impact through our products and the way we conduct business. www.delagelanden.com

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
WWF is the world's leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.

SOURCE Rabobank