PITTSBURGH—As world leaders gathered in New York City last week for the 77th U.N. General Assembly, another international conference focused on a global transition to clean, renewable energy took place here in what has been the epicenter of the American steel industry.
At stake was how trillions of dollars will be spent to catapult technologies like carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and long-term battery storage from the research and development phase to commercialization over the next decade. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who hosted the conference, said the clean energy market will reach $23 trillion by 2030, with demand for green technology like wind turbines and batteries soaring as costs fall.
The inaugural Global Clean Energy Action Forum brought together energy and science ministers from over 30 countries, CEOs and thousands of clean energy…