President Barack Obama, accompanied by Energy Secretary Steven Chu (l.), delivers remarks on the energy bill, in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington Monday.
(Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)Photos (1 of 1)
For Obama, it’s all energy all the time
He touted the climate bill over the weekend, and new lighting standards on Monday. Republicans say the US needs more energy supplies, too.
By Peter Grier | Staff writer/ June 29, 2009 edition
Washington
The Obama administration is doing its best to keep Washington’s focus on energy as Congress breaks for its July 4 holiday.
On Monday, President Obama himself stepped out of the Oval Office to announce new lighting standards he said could save US consumers as much as $4 billion a year. This followed his weekly video address, released Saturday, in which he hailed the House’s recent passage of climate-change legislation.
The White House surely wants to keep pressure on the Senate so that the chamber will move forward with its own version of the climate bill after its vacation ends.
“I am confident that they, too, will choose to move this country forward,” Mr. Obama said Monday of senators.
The energy-economy link
But Obama also seldom misses an opportunity to promote a sort of unified theory of his domestic policies, with everything tied into an attempt to revive US economic growth.
The climate-change bill, federal programs to help automakers develop green technologies, and stimulus bill funds to weatherize homes – all are of a piece, in this view.
“We’ve gotten a lot done on the energy front in the last six months,” said Obama.
Hey, what about boosting supply?
Republicans, reacting on Monday, said the administration’s energy plans do not really add up. The US also needs to focus on supply, through such measures as increased oil exploration, they said.
“Conservation is only half the equation. Even as we use less energy, we need to produce more of our own,” said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “We have to admit there’s a gap between the clean, renewable fuel we want and the reliable energy we need.”
The new efficiency standards announced by the White House apply to fluorescent and incandescent lighting. Seven percent of all the energy used in the US goes to lighting homes and businesses, noted Obama.
“I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise,” said Obama.
Comments
2. Dr. S. Bein | 06.29.09
I know that the lights are more efficient, but remember that the twisty florescent bulbs, which are touted as the nergy efficient replacemetn for incandescent bulbs are made in China, contain mercury and are a hazardous waste disposal problem. Somewhere in that formula, there was some the concurrent formula, act in haste and regret at leisure which seems to be in the forefront these days.
3. Btok | 06.29.09
Everything Obama says he does the opposite! This is the most contrary President America has ever witnessed!
Call your Senator and tell him to veto the Cap and Trade Bill, otherwise we will be headed for slavery, the total takeover of America is entering it’s final phase! Read that Cap and Trade Bill! It takes everything away from the American citizen!
God help us!
4. Ken | 06.30.09
Of course the Republicans want more oil exploration - the Bush Administration was chock full of oilmen! If they are serious about actually helping common folk, and not lining their own pockets, they would also be talking about INCREASING REFINERY CAPACITY, AND MAKING IT MORE EFFICIENT! How can we ever begin to have a modern energy system while we rely on the dinosaur refineries that the oil companies control?
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1. Jeanne L. Turnock | 06.29.09
Here we go again. I remember, years ago while I was still working for the Federal Government, someone got onto the save energy kick and we replaced all the lights with flourescent bulbs, computerized the elevators so fewer trips had to be made, etc. Huge task forces all over Government were created to solve this energy problem. Evidently all that attention did not work then because here we are now reinventing the wheel! Life truly does run in circles.