Obama: I won't walk away from promise of clean energy

Kicking off two-day tour touting his energy policies, President Obama on Wednesday reiterated his commitment to expanding America's renewable energy sources, telling a crowd in Boulder City, Nevada that "as long as I'm president, I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy."

Mr. Obama, speaking at the Copper Mountain Solar 1 Facility in Boulder City, highlighted his administration's efforts to reduce energy on foreign oil. He also blasted his Republican rivals for approaching energy with a mentality that he cast as old-fashioned and anti-innovation.

"If some politicians had their way, there won't be any more public investments in solar energy. There won't be as many new jobs or new businesses," said Mr. Obama. "Some of these folks dismiss the promise of solar power and wind power and fuel-efficient cars. In fact, they make jokes about it. One member of Congress who shall remain unnamed called these jobs 'phony.' Called them phony jobs."

"I mean, think about that mindset, that attitude that says because something is new, it must not be real," the president continued. "If these guys were around when Columbus set sail, they'd be charting members of the Flat Earth Society."

Lauding the efforts of the workers at the Copper Mountain solar facility, Mr. Obama emphasized his faith in alternative energy sectors to create jobs and revive areas hard-hit by the recession.

Face the facts: A fact check on gas prices

"This is an industry on the rise. It's a source of energy that's becoming cheaper. We all know its cleaner. And more and more businesses are starting to take notice. They're starting to look around for more places like Boulder City to set up shop," he said. "When I took office I said, why not give these businesses some access to public lands that aren't otherwise being utilized? At the time, there wasn't a single solar project in place on public land, not one. Today, thanks to great work by Ken Salazar, we've got 16 solar projects approved. And when they're complete, we'll be generating enough energy to power 2 million homes."

"That's progress," he added.

Mr. Obama's energy tour comes amid concern in the White House that rising gas prices could hurt the president's chances at re-election in 2012. Republicans pin the price hikes on the Obama administration's energy policies, which they say are to blame. Mr. Obama notes that drilling alone will not significantly bring prices down.

On Wednesday, he also accused "the flat earth society" of directing money into the pockets of oil companies, who he says are already benefiting from how much Americans are paying in gas.

"The current members of the flat earth society in Congress... they would rather see us continue to provide $4 billion in taxpayer subsidies, tax giveaways to oil companies this year," Mr. Obama said. "Four billion dollars to an industry that's making record profits, every time you fill up at the pump."

He continued: "And yet, on top of what we're paying at the pump, we're also giving them $4 billion in subsidies that could be going into investments in clean energy for the future... That doesn't make any sense. Does anybody think that makes any sense? I just want to make sure because I didn't think that was a wise use of your tax dollars."

"We have subsidized oil companies for a century," he continued. "That's long enough."

The president called for Congress to end tax credits for oil companies in favor for those who are developing clean energy resources. He also dismissed the idea that he does not support drilling in America.

"That's why we're producing more oil right now than at any time in eight years," he said. "But an energy strategy that focuses only on drilling is not an energy strategy that will free us from our dependence on foreign oil."

"That's a losing strategy," he added. "That's not a strategy I'm going to pursue."

Other stops on Mr. Obama's tour include New Mexico, Ohio, and Oklahoma.

[wfw3536]

In every speech Obama makes he states we have only 2% of the world oil supply, but never tells us that that is only the proven reserves we know of at this point. He never or maybe forgets that most experts believe we have 10 times this amount of oil that hasn't been proven/found in our country. Telling the whole story is what a president should be responsible to do, instead of half the story.

[nearl451]

Nor should he. I guess when Tar sands are abandoned in favor of more energy efficient technologies, he will be blamed for supporting Keystone ("picking winners"} as well?

Funny thing is that so far, the support of "Green Technology" has taken the shape of mainly loan guarantees.....and then leave it the free market wolves to devour the fledgling companies. Compare this with the protections and hand-holding that China does when they intend to corner the market in new technology.

[RobAla]

I have no problem with R&D going into "green energy. What I have a problem with is President Obama attempting to move the US onto it before it is a viable and cost effective means to meet the nation's energy needs. President Obama is irresponsible for doing this, and he does not care who it will hurt in the US.

Gas is projected to hit record highs this summer, but his administration does not seem to care.

"Politico: By ALEX GUILLEN | 2/28/12 6:37 PM EST
The Energy Department isn't working to lower gasoline prices directly, Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday after a Republican lawmaker scolded him for his now-infamous 2008 comment that gas prices in the U.S. should be as high as in Europe.
Instead, DOE is working to promote alternatives such as biofuels and electric vehicles, Chu told House appropriators during a hearing on DOE's budget."

If Americans want to know why we are going to be stuck with massive oil price increases this summer, we have to look no farther than President Obama's administration. High gas prices don't just slam people at the pump, every product that is transported by fossil fuel will have to include the increased transportation cost in the prices in the stores. This will hit the poor and middle income Americans very hard, and it will hurt those on fixed incomes (the elderly) the worst. Not only that, vacations will be cut - nailing the crap out of states that depend on tourism. High gas prices will cut the legs out from under the small amount of recovery that we have experienced.

In an interview Barrack Obama did with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board very early in the presidential campaign, January 2008 - he said the following:

"Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Coal-powered plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers."

Does this sound like someone who is concerned with Americans suffering under the weight of high energy costs? NO. President Obama is a radical extremist with a consuming ideology that outweighs any concern that he has for suffering Americans. He has a dreamed up personal "vision" that he wants for America, and he does not care who gets hurt - as long as he can bring his own personal vision to pass. Does this sound like a President who really cares about the American people? NO.

We need a practical leader, with proven practical solutions, to turn this nation around economically. I am SO ready for a new President - one that cares to help the American people with proven solutions.

[retm-w]

rob

Why do you cut and paste and repeat posts from a month ago, can't come up with anything new?

[RobAla]

retm-w: Have you gotten the message yet, or are you still sold on President Obama? Until people get it, I may have to continue the post. The strange thing about truth, is that it stays the same.

[back2thetruth]

No, he won't walk away from clean energy. He'll throw hundreds of millions of tax dollars at any worthless, un-viable, hair-brained scheme, like Solyndra. He's very generous with writing checks that our children and grandchildren will be paying off long after he's dead.

[Mike239239]

Contrary to right wing nuts belief the first loans made to solyndra were made by the Bush administration.

[speakthetrut]

You are preaching to the wrong crowd. You should be preaching to the uneducated. Yeah, those who listen to Santorum and drop out of school, because it is evil to get an education. Go find that crowd and preach to them.