Obama urges green tech uptake

It will take “clean, home-grown energy” for the US to compete globally, president Barack Obama told a crowd of automotive workers on Friday in Indianapolis, says The Boston Herald.

Obama promoted a necessity for an automotive industry based on fuel efficiency, a pillar of his clean energy agenda, at a time when gas prices have created a 'headwind' for economic growth.

The president spoke at Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, where he saw hybrid propulsion systems the plant produces. The company received a stimulus grant for the parts' production.

“In the years ahead, it's clean energy companies like this one that will keep our economy growing, create new jobs, and make sure America remains the most prosperous nation in the world,” Obama said.

The economy added 268 000 private sector jobs in April, although total non-farm payroll employment increased by 244 000 in the same month, according to Friday's report from the Bureau of Labour Statistics, with state and local governments continuing to cut workers, says The Hill.

Despite the job gains, the unemployment rate actually ticked up from 8.8% to 9%. The job figures and unemployment rate are based on different sets of data.

Touting the success of a manufacturing plant he visited in Indiana, Obama said clean energy businesses are the key to new jobs and lower energy prices in America.

Turning his attention to soaring gas prices, for which he said there are “no quick fixes,” the president said the country must reduce its dependence on oil by investing in clean, alternative sources of energy.

Politico quotes Obama as saying: “Other countries know this, and they're going all in to invest in clean energy technologies and clean energy jobs. But I don't want other countries to win the competition. I want American to win that competition.”

Finally, the president urged Americans to resist the temptation to cut back on essential investments like clean energy. “We can do this,” he said.