Misguided policy changes in Washington are threatening US dominance in cleantech. Government subsidies and R&D grants in the US have been slashed while other countries are greatly increasing their investments. While some of that foreign money will be invested here, it also means that at least some US renewable energy companies will end up being owned or controlled by foreign interests. Short-sighted fiscal conservatives who want to reduce all government spending don’t understand that federal investments in new technologies can create entire new industries. For example, NASA invented solar panels and DARPA research led to the Internet. Both were funded by the government. All of this should be discussed during our current campaign season but unfortunately is being mostly ignored.