Mr Obama accused the brothers, along with other “fuel interests” and conservative think tanks of pushing for new laws that would sabotage progress in renewable energy in order to protect their own interests. That’s not progress. That’s not innovation. And he noted that “solar isn’t just for the green crowd any more, it’s for the green-eyeshade crowd too”, citing the fact that Walmart, Google and Apple are among the largest buyers of renewable energy in the world.
Advertisement
He said that since neither he nor Reid is seeking re-election next year, the two off them had talked about “riding off into the sunset together”. A senior administration official, previewing the president’s speech on condition of anonymity since the actions had not been publicly announced, said the steps could dramatically expand opportunities for Americans to have greater flexibility in the types of power they use. Basically, if you want to more green energy options for your house, the president wants to make them more available and affordable.
“The playing field is not always level and that’s where investors and developers can have risks”, he told reporters on the conference call. “This is the only planet we have”.
In high-profile trips this month, Obama will highlight the grave risks scientists connect to climate change. On Thursday, President Obama will fly to New Orleans to mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and speak about how cities can become more resilient in the face of climate change. “America believes in the future”.
The initiative will be a part of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan to drive the country towards a low-carbon energy future.
But Obama also said it was an example of American ingenuity.
Obama said that in some cases renewable energy was becoming cheaper than conventional energy and it was “impossible to overstate what that means”.
The annual energy conference was hosted by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who frequently targets the Koch brothers.
“Our electric grid has barely changed in a century, but that is quickly coming to an end”, he said. However, using Concentrated Solar Power (CPV) optical devices that concentrate sunlight onto a smaller, high efficiency solar PV receiver can reduce the footprint of conventional solar panels, while maintaining their ability to generate electricity. “I choose the American economy”.
After arriving in Las Vegas aboard Air Force One at 4:21 p.m. local time, Obama spoke briefly with Gov. Brian Sandoval, Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak after getting off the plane.
“And he may have been a little flip in his language, but we have seen Republicans do wildly irresponsible things in the past”, he said, specifically mentioning the government shut down.
Mr. Obama also will announce U.S. Interior Department approval of a transmission line across federal lands for the Blythe Mesa Solar Power Project in California.
Advertisement
The executive actions also include $24 million for 11 projects aimed at projects in developing innovative solar technologies that double the amount of energy each solar panel can produce from the Sunday.
