Gary Locke is having a close look at a clean energy product exhibited at the workshop. Photo by Wang Qian/China Daily

A total of six contracts, worth more than 3 billion yuan ($470 million), were signed during the US-Shandong Energy Workshop held in the Shandong provincial capital of Jinan on Nov 29.

Gary Locke, the US Ambassador to China, attended the event as the head of a delegation consisting of ten world-renowned US-based clean energy companies. These companies are members of the US-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP), including Aibemarle Corporation, Solatube International Inc and the UPC Group.

Contracts between the two sides include sectors of wind power, renewable energy, day lighting technology, sustainable fuels and chemicals.

"I am very glad to come here to help boost the cooperation and exchanges between Shandong and the United State on clean energy, energy efficiency and environment protection, which will benefit both sides," said Gary Locke.

The US ambassador introduced ECP to the Shandong-based companies at the workshop and said "it will make our cooperation easier and convenient".

ECP was established in 2009, and is a private initiated, managed and financed non-profit/non-government organization. It is designed to be leverage to the private sector business resources in the US and China to promote the commercially viable project of clean energy and energy efficiency, and support the sustainable development of the energy sectors in both countries.

By Wang Qian (China Daily Shandong Bureau)

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Clark Cahill