President Obama’s Energy-Focused Budget is Good for Us

May, 22 2013 14:05

In his run-up to winning the top job at the White House in 2008, President Obama made it clear that he held a strong commitment to making the United States less dependent on foreign energy sources, ensuring that the country moved in a green direction.  He held strong to the resolve that these steps would be both economically viable and that they would be in the best interest of the country’s national security objectives.

 

As President Obama settles into his second term in office, his resolve has only gotten stronger.  The President knows that people are shifting more and more towards energy efficiency – both in their homes and their lives – and he intends to capitalize on it from the get-go.

 

In April, President Obama outlined his 2014 Fiscal Year (FY) budget request for the U.S. Energy Department.  The budget came in at  $28.4 billion – a figure that confirms the President’s commitment to clean energy, energy efficiency and national security.

 

Highlights of the FY 2014 budget request for the Department of Energy:

·       Use the Better Buildings Initiative to help consumers and businesses save money

·       Invest in the research, development, deployment and production of clean energy technologies

·       $5 billion for the Office of Science – basic research which will lead to further innovation, long-term growth and competitiveness

·       $615 million to make more efficient, and increase the use of alternative energy sources like solar and wind

·       $147 million in research and development of smart grid investments

·       Doubling American energy productivity by 2030

 

These measures – just a few of the many outlined in the budget – are further proof that the President doesn’t take his commitment to green energy lightly. 

 

In his State of the Union address on January 24, 2012, President Obama said, “The easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.”  It is clear that the President understands what energy efficiency means – for residential homes, commercial and industrial businesses and more – and he sees both the bigger picture and the bottom line.