Clean energy boosted by tech, supply chains

NEVs in particular made efficiently, affordably in cities like Anhui's Hefei

HEFEI — A notion that China's burgeoning clean energy sector is propped up by market-distorting subsidies has been circulating about in Washington's corridors of power. Yet, an on-the-ground investigation of China's industrial powerhouse debunks the argument.

A glimpse into the inner workings of a solar panel facility revolutionized by augmented reality, a highly automated and intelligent assembly line of electric vehicles and a battery manufacturer using smart robotics in warehousing tells a compelling story.

Their cost competitiveness, a boon for global consumers and for initiatives to wean humanity off fossil fuels, is a direct result of tech prowess and the strength of supply chains, rather than a reliance on subsidies.