Sydney Morning Herald: Australia and the United States will embark on a joint solar power research program in a bid to drive down the cost of the technology. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the announcement in Melbourne on Sunday, with the Australian government set to commit up to $50 million towards the program. Ms Gillard said the aim was to make solar power as cheap as conventional energy sources. “One of the greatest barriers to a broader commercial take up of solar…