California - Letter submitted to Sacramento Bee

I submitted this letter to the editor (Sacramento Bee; 200 word limit).

To the Editor:

Tom Knudson of the Bee has done a good job  reporting  free trips to China legislators and regulators, paid by private, non-profit money (Sacramento Bee, 7/26/09 , http://www.sacbee.com/2009/07/26/2056375/energy-firms-help-pay-for-state.html; Public Eye, July 7, 2010; http://blogs.sacbee.com/the-public-eye/2010/07/by-law-corporations-are-forbidden.html). 

But there is more. 

Out of public view, State regulators continue to play an active role in brokering a 500 MW solar (PV) deal in California between two Chinese companies, proposing a California exhibition hall in China, selecting China  projects and industrial alliances, and hiding their own role with  the non-profit that has been involved in numerous activities, including paying for Linda Adams to visit China.

Charged with implementing the 'landmark', 'subnational' energy agreement between California and Jiangsu Province, one of China's industrial powerhouses, our State regulators should be working - transparently  - toward wise energy policies that leverage the best of California's leadership, resources and innovation together with China's ability to drive down market prices by low-cost manufacturing. benefit both countries. 

Instead, State agencies,  response to questions asked nicely or formally with answers so muddled and misleading - if at all  - that it is easier to find out about California's activities from Chinese websites (which have the photographs!) We keep hearing that China is not transparent.   Maybe it time to enforce our own transparency laws - the public's right to know, so well stated in the Bee's July 4 editorial about the Freedom of Information Act.