Energy Policy of the Obama Administration
Encyclopedia
The energy policy
of the Obama administration, stated on the website of U.S. President Barack Obama
, lists the guiding principles of the administration regarding energy and the environment. They include creating new clean energy jobs and technologies, making America more energy independent, and reducing carbon emissions.
On April 13, 2010, in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day
, the White House
website summarized the initiatives that the administration is taking or has undertaken:
, and many of those investments were specifically in clean energy. According to a report by Clean Edge: The Clean Tech Marketing Authority
, the recovery act included more than $70 billion in tax credits and direct spending for programs involving clean energy and transportation.
The White House website states that the recovery act provided more than $80 billion in clean energy investments:
Clean Edge lists other recent policies of the Obama Administration to support the clean energy sector in the U.S.:
In his 2011 State of the Union Address
, President Obama called for a goal, "By 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources."
that hit Japan and its power plants, the $54 billion in loan guarantees the president has asked Congress to approve seem doubtful.
As the tragedy and events in Japan continue to unfold, all eyes have invariably turned to the power plants as well as their inherent possibility of major meltdowns.
Concerns have grown over the nuclear plants in California because, similar to Japan, they are also located on fault lines. But Per Peterson, former Chair of the nuclear-engineering department at the University of California, Berkeley has reassured people that the fault lines lack the same danger and potential of disaster as Japan.
plan.
The president's plan includes initiatives such as raising fuel efficiency standards. He also announced a decision to double the number of hybrid vehicles in the federal government's fleet, and made a decision to expand domestic offshore oil and gas
exploration in Alaska and off the southwest coast of the United States.
Following up on Obama's speech, the White House blog released a statement on how the administration plans to boost domestic energy production, diversify America's energy portfolio, and promote clean energy innovation with three tactics:
(CNAS) wrote recommendations on how to improve upon the energy security plan. In 2009, CNAS and its author, Christine Parthemore "convened a group of scientists, investors,business executives,academics,nonprofit representatives, defense professionals,and federal, state, and local officials to discuss how to implement President Obama’s energy and climate
security goals."
CNAS recommended three strategies for the administration to help move forward with the energy security plan:
Energy policy
Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity has decided to address issues of energy development including energy production, distribution and consumption...
of the Obama administration, stated on the website of U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, lists the guiding principles of the administration regarding energy and the environment. They include creating new clean energy jobs and technologies, making America more energy independent, and reducing carbon emissions.
On April 13, 2010, in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
website summarized the initiatives that the administration is taking or has undertaken:
• A $3.4 billion Smart Grid Investment Grant (part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
), which would affect 49 states and has the potential to reduce electricity use by more than 4% by 2030,
• The launch of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)ARPA-EARPA-E, or Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy is a United States government agency to promote and fund research and development of advanced energy technologies...
project under the Department of Energy and in collaboration with the Department of Defense, modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,
• A new report on how the federal government can help create a "self-sustaining home energy efficiency retrofit industry"
• New efficiency standards for home appliances,
• A new National Fuel Efficiency Policy that will apply to cars from model years 2012-2016 and will ultimately require cars to have an average fuel efficiency of 35.5 mpg by 2016,
• Three measures to increase the production of biofuels: a renewable fuels standard, biomass crop assistance program, and a biofuels working group. The President has also created an interagency task force to help create a federal strategy for carbon capture and storage, and
• A new Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
ruling (called the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule) requiring the reporting of greenhouse gas emissionsGreenhouse gas emissions by the United StatesUntil 2006, the United States was the largest emitter of carbon dioxide emissions. China has been the top emitter since 2006. However both the emissions as a result of manufacturing exports and the emissions avoided by product imports are not considered...
by major emitters in the United States.
Clean Energy and the Recovery Act
Many of the Obama administration's initiatives were undertaken as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
, and many of those investments were specifically in clean energy. According to a report by Clean Edge: The Clean Tech Marketing Authority
Clean Edge
Clean Edge is a leading U.S. research and publishing firm that helps companies, investors, and policymakers understand and profit from clean technologies...
, the recovery act included more than $70 billion in tax credits and direct spending for programs involving clean energy and transportation.
The White House website states that the recovery act provided more than $80 billion in clean energy investments:
• $11 billion for a smart grid to connect rural energy-producing sites with cities, and smarter use of energy within homes,
• $5 billion to weatherize low-income homes,
• $4.5 billion to reduce the federal government's own energy bill by making federal buildings more energy efficient,
• $6.3 billion to support state and local energy efforts,
• $600 million to train people for green jobs, and
• $2 billion to promote investments in battery storage technologies.
Clean Edge lists other recent policies of the Obama Administration to support the clean energy sector in the U.S.:
• Extending the investment tax credit for solar energy,
• Extending the production tax credit for wind energy,
• Allowing utilities to participate in income tax credits, and
• Allowing renewable energy developers to receive government grants instead of tax credits.
In his 2011 State of the Union Address
2011 State of the Union Address
The 2011 State of the Union Address was a speech given by President Barack Obama at 9 p.m. EST on January 25, 2011, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives...
, President Obama called for a goal, "By 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources."
Aftermath of Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami
One of President Obama's suggestions for cleaner energy options was the use of nuclear power plants. But after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
that hit Japan and its power plants, the $54 billion in loan guarantees the president has asked Congress to approve seem doubtful.
As the tragedy and events in Japan continue to unfold, all eyes have invariably turned to the power plants as well as their inherent possibility of major meltdowns.
Concerns have grown over the nuclear plants in California because, similar to Japan, they are also located on fault lines. But Per Peterson, former Chair of the nuclear-engineering department at the University of California, Berkeley has reassured people that the fault lines lack the same danger and potential of disaster as Japan.
Energy Security
In a speech on March 31, 2010 at Andrews Air Force Base, President Obama outlined a new energy securityEnergy security
Energy security is a term for an association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven distribution of energy supplies among countries has led...
plan.
The president's plan includes initiatives such as raising fuel efficiency standards. He also announced a decision to double the number of hybrid vehicles in the federal government's fleet, and made a decision to expand domestic offshore oil and gas
Offshore oil and gas in the United States
Offshore oil and gas in the United States provides a large portion of the nation’s oil and gas supply. Large oil and gas reservoirs are found in the sea nearby Louisiana, Texas, California, and Alaska...
exploration in Alaska and off the southwest coast of the United States.
Following up on Obama's speech, the White House blog released a statement on how the administration plans to boost domestic energy production, diversify America's energy portfolio, and promote clean energy innovation with three tactics:
- Landmark car and truck fuel standards
- Leading by example - Greening the federal fleet
- Department of Defense energy security strategic emphasis
Reactions and Analysis of Energy Security
The Center for a New American SecurityCenter for a New American Security
The Center for a New American Security is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank established in 2007 by co-founders Michèle Flournoy and Kurt M. Campbell which specializes in U.S. national security issues...
(CNAS) wrote recommendations on how to improve upon the energy security plan. In 2009, CNAS and its author, Christine Parthemore "convened a group of scientists, investors,business executives,academics,nonprofit representatives, defense professionals,and federal, state, and local officials to discuss how to implement President Obama’s energy and climate
security goals."
CNAS recommended three strategies for the administration to help move forward with the energy security plan:
- Draft a comprehensive national strategy,
- Link that strategy to a major, systems-level demonstration project for a future, low-carbon energy economy, and
- Create a scorecard to track progress and capture lessons learned from the historical level of federal investment in energy and climate security.