In her opening address at the Inter Solar North America fair in San Francisco, Katherina Reiche, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, noted: "Germany, the United States and California are faced with the same energy policy challenges - they have to modernise their energy systems and make them more efficient." "The German Energy Concept and California's Renewable Energy Bill are an excellent basis for a strengthened cooperation between Germany and California in energy matters" Ms Reiche went on to say.
State Secretary Reiche is accompanied by a business delegation visiting California for bilateral talks with Governor Brown and other political decision makers. The aim is to sound out additional cooperation avenues between Germany and the State of California in the climate and energy sector. The visit takes place as part of the Federal Government's Transatlantic Climate Bridge initiative which aims at joining energy policy related forces on both sides of the Atlantic. Ms Reiche stressed the importance of bilateral relations and strategic alliances in the international climate protection arena – in particular with the United States and, since nation-wide climate and energy legislation does not exist, also with individual US states. California has set itself ambitious renewable energy policy targets and it plays an important awareness raising role which goes far beyond its state borders.
This is the fourth Inter Solar North America fair to take place in San Francisco. It is an offshoot of the world's largest solar power fair in Munich and the largest in North America. North America is becoming an increasingly important investment market for the 69 exhibitors from Germany. The German-based Solar Millennium Company, for example, is currently constructing the largest solar thermal power plant in California.