An op-ed co-written by Applied Materials President Charlie Gay and Breakthrough Institute founders Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus reiterates Asia’s competitive advantage in clean technology and urges the United States to move forward with a cohesive strategy.

We need an integrated strategy, combining the insights and vision of industry, government, academia, utilities and consumers. This approach will facilitate the investment climate required to ensure stability and long-term demand for renewable energy.

There’s room for another “Silicon Valley” of clean technology outside of China. The U.S. can close the investment gap with Asia and provide direct support for its clean tech research and innovation, manufacturing capacity and domestic markets if we pursue a long-term national clean energy competitiveness strategy. Robust and targeted public investments such as the ones committed recently by Obama can pave the way to a new era of U.S. technology leadership and economic prosperity but only if we act now.

Pointing to the current situation of the clean-energy race – with Asian nations out-investing the United States by a 3-1 margin – the authors stress that “while the United States might be behind for now, we are far from the finish line.”  Thus, they argue, the need is urgent to ramp up cleantech investment now.

Read the full op-ed here.