從彭博新聞社的一篇采訪看，對于候任總統特朗普治下的美國清潔能源革新前景，微軟聯合創始人比爾·蓋茨并沒有完全失去希望。蓋茨表示，兩周前和特朗普在電話里討論了八分鐘，話題涉及投資和慈善事業。據蓋茨所說，談話并非毫無成果。

最近擁有億萬身家的科技企業家蓋茨成立了一只10億美元規模的基金，目標是盡可能杜絕溫室氣體排放。

“我主要想推動的是創新機會，不僅在能源行業，也覆蓋醫藥和教育領域，”蓋茨向彭博表示，“而且希望強調氣候變化很重要，美國領導人應該充分重視。”

美國電商巨頭亞馬遜的聯合創始人兼首席執行官杰夫·貝佐斯、風投資本家約翰·杜爾和阿里巴巴集團創始人馬云等等億萬富翁也都很贊同蓋茨，以及蓋茨旗下的“突破能源風險投資基金”（Breakthrough Energy Ventures Fund）。大佬們希望通過資助開發廉價的清潔能源實現環保。

蓋茨承認，特朗普執政期間，美國“聯邦政府一級”對推動可再生能源發展“很可能不會很積極”。他認為若果真如此會很“遺憾”。但他預計聯邦政府對研發的投資會增加。他向彭博透露：“兩黨在能源政策方面最一致的是加大能源研發（研究與開發）力度。”

至于特朗普對氣候變化的觀點，蓋茨也未完全悲觀。特朗普不相信氣候變化是人為導致，認為不過是一場“騙局”，并打算任命同樣否認氣候變化的人擔任主管官員。“創新可能是兩黨共同的（訴求）。我們應該盡己所能。”蓋茨對彭博說。

據路透社報道，風能與太陽能行業的游說組織寄望于疏通共和黨議員，希望特朗普明年1月就任后，國會能支持保留可再生能源項目的稅收優惠。 （財富中文網）

作者：Kevin Lui

譯者：Pessy

審校：夏林

It seems that Bill Gates hasn’t lost all hope about the prospects for clean energy innovation in the U.S. under the incoming President Donald Trump, according to an interview with Bloomberg. The Microsoft co-founder said that he presented part of his agenda on investment and philanthropy in an eight-minute phone call with Trump two weeks ago. And according to Gates, the call was not entirely unproductive.

The billionaire tech entrepreneur has recently launched a billion-dollar initiative aiming to eliminate almost all greenhouse gas emissions.

“The key point I was pushing there was the opportunity for innovation in not only energy but also medicine and education,” Gates told Bloomberg, “and encouraging the idea that that’s a great deal and a great thing for American leadership.”

Fellow billionaires on board with Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures Fund, which hopes to achieve its goal by financing the development of affordable clean energy solutions, include Amazon Co-Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, venture capitalist John Doerr and Alibaba Founder Jack Ma.

Gates did acknowledge that the U.S. “will probably see at the federal level less incentives for” renewable energy during the Trump administration, a development which he called “unfortunate.” But he predicted increased investment in research and development, telling Bloomberg that “the most bipartisan piece of energy policy has been a commitment to energy R&D [research and development].”

He was not entirely pessimistic either about the way forward in the face of Trump’s views—he does not believe in man made climate change, calling it a “hoax”—and his slew of appointments of fellow climate change deniers. “Innovations could be bipartisan. We should all do our best,” Gates told Bloomberg.

According to Reuters, lobby groups for the wind and solar energy industry are hoping that by reaching out to Republicans, it could result in congressional support for retaining tax credits for renewable energy projects, even as Trump prepares to take office in January.