President Barack Obama last night used his last State of the Union address to highlight the economic benefits of investing in clean technology, promising further reform of America's energy industry and more support for states looking to reduce their reliance on dirty fuels.
In a speech in which the President lamented the growing political gulf between America's two main political parties, Obama sought to appeal to Republicans by positioning clean energy as a route to energy independence and economic prosperity.
He said the rollout of clean technology has already brought lower energy bills and boosted economic security across the country. "On rooftops from Arizona to New York, solar is saving Americans tens of millions of dollars a year on their energy bills, and employs more Americans than coal - in jobs that pay better than average," he said. "Meanwhile, we've cut our imports of foreign oil by nearly 60 per cent, and cut carbon pollution more than any other country on Earth."
Echoing arguments made by Lord Nicholas Stern and former Vice President Al Gore among others, he added that investment in clean energy is attractive in its own right - regardless of climate science. "Even if the planet wasn't at stake; even if 2014 wasn't the warmest year on record - until 2015 turned out even hotter - why would we want to pass up the chance for American businesses to produce and sell the energy of the future?" he asked.
In a hint at the policy focus for his final few months in office, Obama pledged to overhaul the coal and oil markets to put more pressure on fossil fuel producers to pay for their impact on the planet.
"Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future - especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels," he said. "That's why I'm going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet."
White House sources have previously indicated the Obama administration plans to use its final few months in office to follow up the introduction of the President's Clean Power Plan, which requires states to come up with strategies for curbing emissions from their power sector, with new rules to tackle methane emissions from the oil and gas industries.
Obama also suggested last night that there would be more support given to coal-reliant states to pivot their economies away from fossil fuels, pledging to "put money back into those communities and put tens of thousands of Americans to work building a 21st century transportation system".
The speech was welcomed by climate campaigners, who applauded Obama's appetite for further reform in the remaining months of his Presidency. Andrew Steer, president and chief executive of the World Resources Institute, said Obama still has significant scope to exercise his executive authority to push through reforms to the way oil and coal resources are managed.
"In its final year, the Obama administration should not rest," he said in a statement. "I'm delighted that the president seems to be considering additional actions to ensure that the US achieves its emissions reduction targets and sets the stage for even more progress ahead."
Meanwhile, Bob Perciasepe, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, said Obama was right to highlight the "huge opportunity" for America to accelerate its efforts on clean energy. "Americans increasingly understand both the risks and the opportunities presented by climate change," he said in a statement. "The investments and innovation that help us generate clean power and protect our communities from extreme weather and other climate impacts also help build a more sustainable economy."
The speech came as new figures reveal the US solar industry's workforce grew by 20 per cent last year, as falling panel prices and a generous system of federal tax credit encouraged more people to invest in solar technology. The workforce has grown from 174,000 people in 2014 to around 209,000 in 2015, according to a report released yesterday by The Solar Foundation.
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