WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (KUNA) -- As he did as a presidential candidate, US President Barack Obama on Friday once again said the United States must transit from fossil fuels to renewable fuels.
Speaking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, Obama said "there is going to be a lot of debate about how we move from an economy that is importing oil to one that is exporting clean-energy technology -- how we harness the innovative potential on display here at MIT to create millions of new jobs, and how we will lead the world to prevent the worst consequences of climate change." "There are going to be all sorts of debates, both in the laboratory and on Capitol Hill," he added. "But there is no question that we must do all these things." Countries globally recognize that energy supplies are growing scarcer, energy demands are growing larger, and rising energy use imperils the planet, Obama said.
The world is engaged in a peaceful competition to determine the technologies that will power the 21st century, he said.
"From China to India, from Japan to Germany, nations everywhere are racing to develop new ways to produce and use energy," Obama said. "The nation that wins this competition will be the nation that leads the global economy. I am convinced of that. And I want America to be that nation." The Recovery Act passed by the US Congress last January makes the largest investment in clean energy in history, "not just to help end this recession, but to lay a new foundation for lasting prosperity," the President said.
The act includes USD 80 billion to employ tens of thousands of Americans to develop new battery technologies for hybrid vehicles; modernize the electric grid, make homes and businesses more energy efficient, and double capacity to generate renewable electricity, he said.
"These are creating private-sector jobs; weatherizing homes, manufacturing cars and trucks, upgrading to smart electric meters, installing solar panels, assembling wind turbines, building new facilities and factories and laboratories all across America," as well as helping to finance "extraordinary research," he noted. (end) rm.hb KUNA 232150 Oct 09NNNN