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China is Making Us Look Silly! Tell Washington to Step It Up on Renewable Energy

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China’s solar farms are lighting the future while America hesitates—our leaders must act now to reclaim innovation.

China is Making Us Look Silly! Tell Washington to Step It Up on Renewable Energy

Across the roof of the world, China has built vast solar cities in the sky. Panels stretch for miles over the Tibetan Plateau, capturing sunlight so intense it powers entire provinces. In just three weeks, these high-altitude solar farms produce as much electricity as the massive Three Gorges Dam — a megaproject that took years to complete and displaced more than a million people1. China is proving what’s possible when innovation and national resolve unite behind clean energy.

The United States once led the world in solar technology. American scientists developed the first photovoltaic cells. But today, China’s high-altitude and floating solar farms are setting the pace — producing more energy, more efficiently, and at lower cost. Every new installation widens the gap. Without urgent federal action, we risk losing both technological leadership and energy independence.

We Have the Power — and the Responsibility — to Lead Again

Sunlight hits the United States with enough energy each hour to power our country for a full year. Yet we still depend on fossil fuels that pollute our air and destabilize our climate. Solar energy is not a futuristic ideal — it’s a practical solution that creates jobs, strengthens the grid, and shields Americans from volatile fuel prices2.

China’s example is clear: strategic investment works. Their government built entire industries around solar innovation — from advanced panel manufacturing to high-efficiency data centers that thrive on renewable power. The result is clean, low-cost energy that powers growth while cutting emissions. America can do the same, but only with decisive leadership from our Department of Energy, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of Commerce.

The Moment to Act Is Now

The U.S. is at a crossroads. We can choose to lead — reclaiming our place as the global engine of clean innovation — or fall behind as other nations define the future of energy. Federal investment in solar technology, domestic supply chains, and workforce training would not only close the gap but create a new era of American prosperity driven by sustainability3.

Clean energy is about more than technology. It’s about independence, security, and stewardship. The next generation deserves breathable air, stable climates, and a country that builds solutions — not excuses.

Call for U.S. Leadership in Solar Innovation

Sign the petition urging the U.S. Secretary of Energy, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Secretary of Commerce to launch a national initiative that accelerates solar innovation, strengthens domestic manufacturing, and commits the United States to meet or surpass China’s solar achievements. Together, we can power a cleaner, safer, and more self-reliant future.

More on this issue:

  1. Keith Bradsher, The New York Times (10 October 2025), "Why China Built 162 Square Miles of Solar Panels on the World’s Highest Plateau."
  2. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering (13 May 2025), "World’s Highest-Altitude Solar Station with 100 MW Capacity Powers Up in Tibet."
  3. Ken Moritsugu and Ng Han Guan, Los Angeles Times (21 August 2025), "China Races to Build World’s Largest Solar Farm to Meet Emissions Targets."
  4. Charlie Campbell, TIME (2 June 2025), "How China Floated to the Top in Solar."

The Petition

To the U.S. Secretary of Energy, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce:

America stands at a turning point in global energy leadership. While the United States pioneered solar technology decades ago, China has taken the lead in scaling it to unimaginable heights. Their new high-altitude solar farms, sprawling across the Tibetan Plateau, now generate in mere weeks the same amount of electricity it took the Three Gorges Dam years to produce. This breathtaking pace of progress demonstrates what is possible when innovation, industrial coordination, and national will align behind clean energy.

We urge you to prioritize a national effort to match—and surpass—this momentum. The United States cannot afford to trail behind in a technology so vital to our future security, economy, and environment. As the world races toward renewable power, solar represents both our most accessible and most transformative option. With enough sunlight hitting our nation each hour to power it for a year, we possess every natural advantage to lead this new era—if we choose to act decisively.

Expanding solar energy is not only an environmental imperative but an economic one. Clean, renewable power shields American families and businesses from volatile fuel prices, creates stable, long-term jobs, and strengthens our national grid. Every panel we install brings down emissions, but it also strengthens the resilience of rural and industrial communities alike. A stronger U.S. solar sector also means global competitiveness—protecting American innovation, manufacturing, and supply chains from dependence on foreign producers.

We call upon your offices to:

  • Expand federal investment in solar research and advanced manufacturing innovation.
  • Strengthen the Solar Energy Technologies Office within the Department of Energy to accelerate commercialization of new technologies.
  • Coordinate with U.S. industry to develop next-generation photovoltaic and storage solutions.
  • Increase funding for domestic supply chains and workforce training to support a nationwide clean energy transition.
  • Establish a national goal to meet or exceed China’s solar generation capacity within the next decade through American-made infrastructure.

By committing to this challenge, we can spark a new wave of ingenuity worthy of our nation’s legacy. Solar energy is more than an environmental solution—it is a declaration of leadership, independence, and belief in a sustainable future powered by American innovation.

These actions will not only reduce emissions and lower costs but ensure a better future for all—one built on clean air, steady jobs, technological progress, and an enduring commitment to a planet that sustains life for generations to come.

Sincerely,

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