The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Administration to step up pressure on China
Ga. Power out to increase its renewables
WASHINGTON — The White House is planning a series of actions this week targeting China’s trade, cyber and economic policies, bringing together the work of a handful of federal agencies as part of a longer-term strategy to keep pressure on Beijing, according to senior administration officials.
The moves, which have been contemplated for months and are expected to be announced as early as today, stem from a growing concern within the administration that China will not easily change its practices — including what it says is a pattern of hacking into U.S. companies and throwing up trade barriers to U.S. goods.
The action was coordinated by Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, and several other administration officials who have grown frustrated with Beijing’s vague promises to make sweeping changes to its treatment of U.S. intellectual property and technology transfer, and as-yet unfulfilled commitments to substantially increase purchases of U.S. goods.
The Justice Department is preparing to announce the indictments of several hackers that the United States believes worked for the Chinese government and have targeted U.S. companies for years, according to a government official.
Other actions this week could include new Commerce Department rules on imported Chinese semiconductors, and a possible revival of a long-shelved executive order intended to make it harder for Chinese companies to obtain telecommunications components, a senior U.S. official said.
While the two sides have reached a 90-day trade truce, administration officials want to keep up a sustained campaign of pressure to ensure that Beijing lives up to the commitments that President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China agreed to in Buenos Aires this month.
Administration officials believe that they have the upper hand and can leverage tariffs and other punishments to eke out changes from Beijing.
But that approach could backfire, given the United States is now targeting high-profile tech executives and others with ties to China’s Ministry of State Security.
China has been angered by the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications company. Meng has been detained in Canada on suspicion of fraud involving violations of U.S. sanctions in Iran.
U.S. business leaders have been bracing for retaliation from China, which has demanded the immediate release of Meng and accused both the United States and Canada of violating her human rights.
Georgia Power is seeking proposals from renewable energy companies to obtain 540 megawatts of solar, biomass and wind power, as part of its commitment to diversify its energy sources in Georgia.
The purchases, through Georgia Power’s Renewable Energy Development Initiative (REDI), will be the final action to fulfill a 2016 deal approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission to provide 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy through multiple projects.
The first procurement of 510 megawatts of solar energy completed in 2017 started the projects under way in central, south and southwest Georgia.
“We are proud of the principles that we have built upon with REDI, such as competitive bidding, as we continue to procure renewable energy from cost effective resources to maximize the benefits for our customers,” said Wilson Mallard, director of Renewable Development for Georgia Power.
The company, the largest electric provider in the state serving more than 2.5 million customers, will be receiving proposals from interested companies until noon January 15, 2019.
“We are eager to receive, review and select projects from this RFP that will provide significant longterm value,” said Mallard.
The company, which currently has 976 megawatts of solar power online, expects to grow its renewable resources to the state to 1,600 megawatts by 2021.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association for the solar industry, an average of 164 homes can be powered by a megawatt of solar.