Washington — The United States and the Republic of Korea will work together to advance innovative breakthroughs in clean energy technology, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced October 13.
A new agreement, signed October 10 by U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Minister of Knowledge Economy Choi Joong-Kyung of the Republic of Korea, establishes the U.S.-Korea Clean Energy Technology Partnership, an effort aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in clean energy technology research and development.
“The agreement will enable the United States and the Republic of Korea to expand our already strong bilateral cooperation on clean energy,” Chu said. “By working together toward our shared clean energy goals, we can promote the kind of innovation that will help win the clean energy race and create jobs in both of our nations.”
The United States and the Republic of Korea cooperate closely in many multilateral initiatives, including the Major Economies Forum, Clean Energy Ministerial, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the International Energy Agency, and through the Korea-led Global Green Growth Institute.
The United States looks forward to working together to advance green economy goals through clean energy at Rio+20, the 2012 U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, according to the DOE announcement.
The new agreement states that the two countries will cooperate on clean energy research in a variety of areas, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, smart grid technology, green transportation, carbon capture and storage and energy storage systems.
Researchers from both countries will be able to exchange scientific and technical information, organize workshops, and consult to promote joint research and development projects, among other forms of collaboration.
Minister Choi joined Republic of Korea President Lee Myung-bak on a state visit hosted by President Obama. The visit highlighted the strong alliance, global partnership and deep economic ties between the United States and the Republic of Korea.