The article mentioned solar tech being first patented in the US, and even as recently as the 70s the government injected cash to push it forward.

So maybe not “Clean energy leader” per se, but certainly tech leader in the clean energy space.

We (USA) gave up on being clean energy leaders decades ago and now China has emerged in our place.

Now, between meddling in our universities, research granting system, and an insane HHS Secretary, we’re headed on the same path in a larger number of other science and technical fields, especially Medicine.