U.S.-China Clean Energy Initiative I
November 2003, Jackson, Wyoming
 The delegation of Vice Governor Niu and other participants in the first meeting of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Initiative |  First U.S.-China Clean Energy Initiative |  Shanxi Vice Governor Niu Renliang describing problems with use of coal and the difficulties of coal mining in his Province, China's largest coal producing province |
|---|---|---|
 (from left) David Wendt, President Jackson Hole center for Global Affairs; Hon. John Turner, Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment and Science, U.S. Department of State: Grant Larson, Majority Floor Leader, Wyoming State Senate |  From left: Larisa Dobriansky, Deputy Assistant Secretary for National Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Milton Russel, Senior Fellow, Joint Institute for Energy and Environment (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee Valley Authority, University of Tennessee) Venkat Ramana, Director, Clean Energy Development, Winrock International |  Mr. Wu Lianfan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government explaining the use and development of natural gas in his city. |
 Conclusion of discussions |
"I want to thank the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs for creating this watering hole for these two countries to come together. I want to remind us all that we want to build a legacy of natural resources and a more sustainable climate for our future."
-John Turner, former Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and International Scientific Cooperation
"The environment here in Jackson Hole is very beautiful. Many people have worked hard to maintain this natural condition. People all over the world, including China, want to live in a beautiful environment. We all need to work together to achieve this common goal."
-Shi Dinghuan, Counsellor, State Council, People's Republic of China
In November 2003, the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs launched an ongoing effort to bring the United States and China together via market-driven, clean energy solutions cooperation - work that has not ceased since. Organized in partnership with the U.S. State Department and the first official activity as part of JHCGA’s U.S.-China Clean Energy Initiative, It was co-chaired by Hon. John F. Turner, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and Mr. Shi Dinghuan, Secretary-General of the PRC’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). As a native of Jackson Hole, Mr. Turner welcomed Mr. Shi and the other members of the PRC delegation to his home town.
China’s challenges in developing and applying clean and efficient sources and uses of energy are also those of Wyoming and the United States.
A single province – Shanxi, with a population of 30 million – is responsible for 1/5 of the world’s total emissions of coalmine methane, a greenhouse gas with 27 times the heat-trapping capacity of carbon dioxide. Shanxi is not only China’s largest coal-producing province, but also the world’s leading exporter of coke, used in the making of steel. Locally and regionally, the environmental consequences of these mining and manufacturing operations include severe acid rain depositions and the depletion and pollution of surface and ground water supplies. Outcomes and next steps were chronicled in the final report.
