Last week I had the privilege to participate in Environmental Entrepreneurs' (E2) annual advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., joining a small delegation of E2 members to voice the economic benefits of clean energy directly to our nation's leadership, from Senators and Representatives in Congress to key Administration offices and Department officials. After nearly 20 meetings in less than 48 hours — and many more meetings for the delegation as a whole — I left the Capitol inspired as ever that clean tech can and will be a true engine for the U.S. economy; but I also left even more convinced that our system in Washington is broken, and that today's stalemate created by partisan politics increasingly risks cannibalizing U.S. economic competitiveness in the 21st century.