Bloomberg News Deputy Editor and author Eric Pooley has a commentary in Bloomberg today that talks about how the gridlock in the Senate on clean energy and climate change legislation will cede the clean energy race to China.  Pooley argues that by not implementing smart policies, like a Renewable Electricity Standard and a price on carbon, we’re basically giving China millions of jobs and letting them be the new global leader on clean energy.

From the commentary:

While the carbon cap, at this intensely partisan moment, has exactly zero Republican supporters, at least four GOP senators have signaled support for the RES. Proponents are hoping to introduce it as a floor amendment — and whether or not they have the votes to pass it, this is a debate worth having.

In a meeting with business leaders and environmental advocates early last year, Obama economic adviser Larry Summers described a “scissors” approach to economic recovery, according to several people who were present but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

The first blade of the scissors, Summers explained, was the stimulus package and its tens of billions for clean energy deployment. The second blade would be a mandatory, declining cap on carbon, which would remove the investment uncertainty that has hobbled the energy market, and draw billions of private dollars off the sidelines.

Make no mistake, if America fails to act by implementing smart clean energy policies, we may as well be handing the keys to the global economy to China.  China is set to invest $738 billion in clean energy investment over the next decade.  In addition, China may be taking up carbon trading to ensure they can spur demand and innovation.  While China is kicking their clean energy economy into overdrive, America will be still be stuck in neutral.

Clean energy investment can create millions of jobs.  It can reinvigorate America’s beleaguered manufacturing sector.  Clean energy can provide an economic foundation for our nation to regain prosperity.  It can bring back a true middle-class.  But it can only do those things if we take action to make it happen.

It’s clear that if America sits in neutral while the other countries move forward, we will lose millions of good job opportunities overseas and will be continue to be forced to use resources from other countries to fulfill our energy needs.