Renewable Energy Under The Obama Administration

The International Scientific Congress has found that if countries provide adequate financial and political support, renewable energy technologies could supply 40 percent of the world’s electricity by 2050. It is estimated that investing in this could cost the US $12.8 to $25.5 billion per year and without US investment, the contribution of renewable sources of energy could drop from an estimated 40 percent to less than 15. That leads to the question, what is the Obama administration going to do about this? Obama has recently cut the red tape on offshore renewable energy by giving this responsibility to the Department of the Interior. They will oversee offshore projects that generate energy from wave and tidal currents. This is part of his goal of doubling renewable energy production over the next three years. Opponents argue that environmental policies like the ones Obama means to enact will impose an unnecessary economic hardship on a country in recession. The administration argues back. “There can be no economy without the environment.” A global recession will slow down the growth in carbon emissions and with proper investment, the administration can even use the tax payer’s money to boost the economy and create jobs in the environmental improvement sector.
Obama created his ‘Green Dream Team’, certain Cabinet secretaries and top officials who will be responsible for environmental and energy policies. The team will help to achieve Obama’s top environmental goals such as creating millions of new green jobs, freeing our country from its dependence on oil and preserving this planet for posterity. His ‘Green Path’ in the stimulus plan will accomplish all of these goals. This path includes both short-term projects to jump start economy and long-term goals for safeguarding the environment.
In his first 50 days in office, Obama was mostly occupied with reversing some Bush energy decisions like offshore drilling as well as drilling in Montana and Utah. Now he has time to institute his comprehensive environmental plan, including large changes regarding renewable energy sources. Obama is pushing ‘smart-grid’ technology for purposes of energy conservation and efficiency while also trying to ensure that 10 percent of our energy comes from renewable resources by 2012 and increase that to 25 percent by 2025.