In his State of the Union Address to Congress, President Barack Obama once again urged the U.S. to pursue renewable energy, including solar power.
‘Today, no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy,’ Obama said, praising the country's growth in both renewable energy and domestically produced natural gas.
But in order to both combat climate change and maintain global competitiveness, the country must become even more active in the clean energy market, he added.
‘Solar energy gets cheaper by the year – let's drive down costs even further,’ Obama said. ‘As long as countries like China keep going all in on clean energy, so must we.’
He also urged Congress to adopt a ‘bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change.’ Although the specifics of this type of legislation were not discussed, they could include carbon-tax mechanisms or other features that could spur a shift to renewable energy.
Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), applauded Obama's ‘vision for the American energy economy that is in line with what SEIA is working to achieve – a robust clean energy industry that powers our homes and businesses while growing our economy and protecting our environment.’
‘We are especially encouraged by the president's commitment to securing America's place as a leader in clean energy innovation throughout the world,’ Resch said in a statement. ‘President Obama understands that the stakes are high, and we must not fall behind other nations as the world shifts to emissions-free clean energy technologies like solar.’
