During his State of the Union address, President Obama again touted the use of natural gas and renewables to help reduce carbon emissions in the U.S., but did not mention coal or nuclear.
The President said in his speech that his “all of the above” energy strategy will enable jobs and reduce emissions that lead to climate change.
“The ‘all the above’ energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today America is closer to energy independence than we have been in decades,” he said.
One way that is possible is with the increased use of natural gas, the President said. He said he would help make it easier for more natural gas-fired power plants to be built and hire more people.
“Businesses plan to invest almost a hundred billion dollars in new factories that use natural gas,” he said. “I'll cut red tape to help states get those factories built and put folks to work, and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas.“
The President pointed out that solar is fast becoming an economic boon in the U.S. According to The Solar Foundation’s recent Solar Jobs Census, more than 23,000 jobs were created in the U.S. solar industry in 2013.
“Every four minutes another American home or business goes solar, every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can't be outsourced,” the President said. “Let's continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don't need it so we can invest more in fuels of the future that do.”
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said the industry plans to keep growing this year and into the future.
“Fresh off a record-breaking year, America’s solar energy industry is looking forward to another great year in 2014 – thanks, in part, to President Obama’s continued leadership and the smart public policies which are making solar more affordable than ever,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “With an estimated 13,000 megawatts or solar currently installed in the U.S., we’re generating enough clean, reliable electricity today to power more than 2 million American homes – or every single home in a state the size of Colorado.”
The American Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) said in a statement that the industry appreciates the President’s support, but they disagree over incentives.
“We welcome President Obama’s continued support for the opportunities that natural gas is bringing our nation,” said Marty Durbin, president and chief executive officer of ANGA. “It is clear from tonight’s speech that the president recognizes the role natural gas is playing in meeting our nation’s economic and environmental needs.”
The President’s speech noticeably left coal out of the discussion.
“The President ignored the opportunity to level with the American people about the damage his Climate Action Plan will have on the U.S. economy and jobs across the country,” said Mike Duncan, president and CEO of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE). “In a puzzling paradox, President Obama decried income inequality, while touting progress on his climate change initiative – bypassing the fact that increased energy costs place an outsized burden on lower and fixed income families and make it more difficult for businesses to succeed. Regulations spearheaded by his own Environmental Protection Agency aimed at coal-fueled electricity will weaken our economy and our energy security.”
The Sierra Club said neither natural gas nor coal were the answer to the climate crisis.
“The President has taken significant steps forward by committing to hold dirty power plants accountable for their toxic carbon pollution and to protect our public lands,” said Michael Brune, Sierra Club executive director. “We’re also encouraged to hear his plans to help repair and modernize America’s infrastructure.”
Brune said natural gas drilling is not the way to fix climate change.
“Make no mistake – natural gas is a bridge to nowehere,” Brune said. “If we are truly serious about fighting the climate crisis, we must look beyond an ‘all of the above’ energy policy and replace dirty fuels with clean energy. We can’t effectively act on climate and expand drilling and fracking for oil and gas at the same time.”
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