In his Jan. 24 State of the Union address, Pres. Obama pointed to "a future where we're in control of our own energy," and said he refuses to back down from supporting clean, green energy.
"Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy.
"With only 2 percent of the world's oil reserves, oil isn't enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy..."
Pres. Obama reminded Congress that it was public research dollars over 30 years that helped develop the technologies to extract natural gas out of shale rock, and said it served as a reminder that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.
"... what's true for natural gas is just as true for clean energy. In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world's leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled, and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it."
Alluding to Solyndra, he added, "Our experience with shale gas shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don't always come right away. Some technologies don't pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.
"I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.
