The U.S. Government Developed A Key Green Technology. The Biden Admin Gave It To China. | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire. The author of this post is Luke Rosiak.

    The Department of Energy's Inspector General is reviewing why the Joe Biden administration gave promising battery technology, developed by taxpayer dollars, to a Chinese company instead of making the batteries in the U.S.

    China is now reportedly building one of the largest battery grids in the world using the technology, which could store huge amounts of solar energy without degrading over time or requiring lithium, mitigating a major environmental impact of current green technology that ends up in landfills.

    In 2021, there was an "illicit Department of Energy (DOE) transfer of a fifteen million dollar, taxpayer-funded advanced battery technology to China," Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) wrote in a letter to the DOE's internal watchdog.

    The company that received the license "plainly stated on their official website that they planned to manufacture the batteries in China," even though the license included "a requirement that the batteries be 'substantially manufactured' in the U.S. As these stipulations were continuously violated, DOE never raised any concern," they wrote.

    "We are concerned that this is an overt dereliction of duty by DOE, and that this case may be emblematic of a department that routinely and flippantly permits government-funded technology to be transferred to China," the senators concluded.

    In response, Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson replied this month that "we are conducting a thorough review of this matter."

    In August, NPR reported that U.S. government-funded scientists working at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory had developed the "vanadium redox flow battery," which could store enough energy to power a house and last for 30 years. The technology would make it easier to rely on solar power.

    The U.S. government holds the patent on the technology, and in 2012, it licensed it to Gary Yang, one of the scientists who helped develop it, so that he could commercialize it. He launched a firm called UniEnergy Technology, but it ran into funding problems, NPR reported.

    In 2017, Yang - an American citizen who was born in China - obtained a sublicense from the DOE to allow a Chinese firm to make the batteries. In 2021, he transferred the license outright to a Dutch company called Vanadis Power, which said it would make the batteries in China but eventually move production to Europe to comply with European rules.

    America had those rules too, but seemed less strict about enforcing them. On July 7, 2021, UniEnergy emailed a government manager at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to request approval to transfer the license to Vanadis, and within 90 minutes, the government granted approval, even though Vanadis' website said it would make the batteries in China.

    Unnamed DOE officials told NPR they often rely on "good faith disclosures" - in other words, the honor system.

    But an American company, Forever Energy, told NPR that they had been telling the DOE that the license was out of compliance, only to be shrugged off.

    After questions from NPR, the DOE revoked the license, potentially freeing it up for an American company like Forever Energy.

    But a Forever executive said now the U.S. is far behind, and that she doubts China will stop producing the technology simply because it no longer has the license.

    Last month, Ernst said that taxpayer-funded tech breakthroughs routinely end up in the hands of China, and that a confidential Department of Defense report went so far as to say "China, not the U.S., is the ultimate beneficiary of DoD and other [U. S. Government] research investments."

poll#162

In what may be the most divisive period in modern American History, even more divisive than the turbulent sixties due to today's lack of patriotism, consider what are the major catalysts causing so much of this calamity of conflict, and vote: What most instigates the division of America, on this day September 20, 2022?

  Racism within our society

  Sex realignment to the detriment of our society.

  Biden /Harris Wide Open Southern Border Policy for the Demographic Upheaval of OUR Constitutional Republic

  Rampant Crime in Democratic controlled cities, and the possible contagion elsewhere

  Covid Pandemic, and its mishandling at the political, and bureaucratic levels.

  The unresolved questions /allegation regarding the flawed 2020 General Election

  January 6th Riot or "Armed Insurrection", depending upon patriotic perspective

  Joe Biden as Divisive Leader; Ineffective and Corrupt Executive

  Failed Education Industry, from an overall perspective, regarding all levels of education.

  Propagandistic Media in complete conflict with the First Amendment's guarantee of Freedom of Speech, and the awesome responsibility of a Free Press..

  "Orangeman Bad!"

  Bureaucracy rushing to a behemoth size, its unjustified expense, and far too often overreach.

  The Weaponized Deep State for political purposes

  A secular ambivalence to all that is real.

  Record number of overdose deaths from opioids and now Fentanyl

  Biden Administration's disastrous Foreign Policy

  Bidenflation /supply chain failure inevitably evolving into stagflation and recession.

  "Ultra MAGA Extremists" freely speaking louder AND LOUDER!

927 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?

poll#132

Considering that Joe Biden is considered by so many to be the Imposter President: Is he actually knowledgeable enough, wise enough, patriotic enough to be this Constitutional Republic's president at this difficult point in these tumultuous times?

  Yes, Mr. Biden is thoughtful and kind, and just so different from the "Orange Man".

  No, this representation of "president" is either too corrupt, too stupid, or both to be a real president.

  I just want the fun guy, who knew how to make stuff work back.

670 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?