This second installment of the QER builds on QER 1.1 — “Energy Transmission, Storage, and Distribution Infrastructure”, which was released in April 2015. QER1.1 made 63 recommendations, which DOE and its partners have been actively implementing. As detailed in the recent “Report Card,” 29 of the recommendations have already been fully implemented and an additional 21 are currently underway. Many of the recommendations requiring legislative action have been taken up by Congress, with 21 of the legislative recommendations now fully or partially reflected in Federal law. DOE will work with Congress and other agencies to achieve similar positive impact based on the recommendations from QER1.2

Modernizing the Nation’s electricity system is a strategic imperative. Reliable and affordable electricity provides necessary energy services for consumers, business, and national defense and underpins virtually every sector of the modern U.S. economy. This first-of-its-kind review of the electricity system provides analysis-based recommendations on how the Federal Government can most effectively work with states, localities, industry, and other stakeholders to meet future electricity needs, fully realize America’s economic potential, and secure the United States as a global leader in clean-energy innovation.

Here’s how:

Protect the Electricity System as a National Security Asset.  The QER analyzes the interactions and interconnections that characterize the electricity system, as wells as the risks the system faces and concludes that the electricity system should be treated as a National security asset. The QER also provides recommendations to align investments and interests in support of the overarching National interest in electricity system security against threats both natural and manmade.  The report recommends:

• Amending the Federal Power Act, including new authorities under the FAST Act, to clarify and affirm that the electricity system—from bulk power to distribution—is a national security asset, making its protection a fundamental Federal responsibility.
• Adopting integrated electricity-security planning and standards on a regional basis.
• Assessing interdependencies of natural gas/electricity system infrastructure for cyber security protection to determine whether additional measures are needed to protect the electricity system. 

Maximize Economic Value and Consumer Equity. Consumer options for electricity services and energy efficiency have grown dramatically, enabled in part by the smart grid and the Internet of Things, and supported by significant consumer demand for a range of new services. Consumers can now both produce and consume power through distributed generation technologies and an advanced distribution infrastructure, a significant change in the customer-utility relationship. Advances needed to increase economic value and consumer equity in this context include:

• Increasing Federal support for state efforts to quantitatively value and incorporate energy efficiency, demand response, distributed storage, and distributed generation into resource planning.
• Evaluating the potential to improve incentives and programs to cut electricity bills for low- and moderate-income households.
• Supporting electrification and opportunities for economic development by advancing energy technologies on tribal lands.
• Leveraging electric-utility broadband build-out to expand public broadband access in rural areas.

Build a Clean Electricity Future. Reducing greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions is a key imperative for the power sector and builds on the success of environmental policy in reducing adverse public health and environmental impacts from electricity generation throughout the 20th century.  Ensuring a clean and flexible electricity system will require continually reducing the cost and improving the environmental performance of energy technologies. Achieving these goals will require a number of actions, including:

• Significantly increasing Federal investment in clean electricity Research Development & Demonstration and implementing regional, clean-energy-innovation partnerships.
• Analyzing financing for advanced large-scale generation, while also expanding tax incentives for renewable electricity, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency.
• Extending the timeframe and total capacity allowed under the production tax credit for nuclear power generation and providing tax credits for carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration.
• Reducing the electricity intensity of newly constructed residential and commercial buildings by at least 50 percent relative to typical, present-day, new building construction by 2030.
• Assessing business model inequities associated with Federal electricity financial incentives to include an examination of the usage of tax credits for tax-exempt entities.

Ensure Reliability, Security, and Resilience. Traditional electricity system operations are evolving that can enable a more dynamic and integrated grid, creating both enormous opportunities and the potential for new risks and vulnerabilities. The emerging threat environment, particularly with respect to cybersecurity and increases in the severity of extreme weather events, poses challenges for the reliability, security, and resilience of the electricity sector, as well as to its traditional governance and regulatory regimes. Key steps needed to minimize these risks include:

• Materially expanding existing Federal programs to demonstrate the integration and optimization of distribution-system technologies.
• Providing incentives for energy storage.
• Enhancing coordination between energy-sector information-sharing and analysis centers and the intelligence communities to synthesize threat analysis and disseminate it to industry in a timely and useful manner.
• Supporting grants for small utilities facing cyber, physical, and climate threats.
• Accounting for emerging threats during reliability planning.
• Providing funding assistance to enhance analytical capabilities in state public utility commissions.

Invest in a Modern Workforce. A skilled workforce that can build, operate, and manage this modernized grid infrastructure is essential for the 21st century electricity system. Building a dynamic electricity workforce will require support from the Federal Government, including by:

• Strengthening Federal and regional efforts focused on electricity workforce development and transition assistance.
• Supporting cyber-physical systems (CPS) curriculum, training, and education for grid modernization and cybersecurity.
• Enhancing and aligning skills-based training and electricity-sector workforce development.

Enhance Electricity Integration in North America. Leaders in the United States, Canada, and Mexico have publicly and repeatedly affirmed support for increasing energy integration, and there is a general understanding across the continent that the benefits of cross-border electricity trade can be improved with deeper system integration. A subset of the policies needed to accomplish this goal include:

• Advancing North American grid security through sharing of best practices and exploration of potential future cooperation on grid security issues.
• Facilitating the permitting of cross-border transmission-facilities by expanding the Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit.
• Increasing North American clean-energy and technical coordination and enhancing cooperation on energy information exchange across North America.

The full report, details on the process for stakeholder input, and the related analyses are available at energy.gov/qer.

Addressing climate change remains a top priority for President Obama. The Administration is committed to take action on climate change by continuing to promote the transition to clean energy sources and create good paying jobs. As the President made clear in his Climate Action Plan, he firmly believes that the federal government should lead by example in improving energy efficiency and cutting harmful carbon pollution. Today the Administration is celebrating the achievement of one federal leadership goal, and setting a new one.

In 2012, President Obama announced the Department of Defense's (DoD) commitment to deploy three gigawatts on Army, Navy, and Air Force installations by 2025 – enough to power 750,000 homes. Today, in Arlington, Arizona, the Department of Navy, Department of Energy, Sempra Energy, and the White House Office of Federal Sustainability are participating in a ribbon cutting ceremony to announce the operationalization of 210 megawatts of solar power at the Mesquite III facility, the federal government's largest investment in clean energy in history. 

Mesquite III will supply 14 Navy and Marine Corps installations in California with clean energy, providing one-third of their electricity needs for 25 years at a cost savings of more than $90 million.

In addition to announcing a major milestone towards the DoD renewable energy goal, today the Obama Administration is launching another ambitious target – a new goal for civilian agencies to procure and facilitate development of 1 gigawatt of new renewable electricity by 2021. This goal promotes installation of renewable energy on federal land, the development of new solar through power purchase agreements, and procurement of bundled green energy to power federal facilities. Additionally, this target will also incentivize projects on federal land where the government is not the sole user, such as enhanced use leases and facilitation of private development.

This goal builds on last year’s goal that 30 percent of electricity used by the federal government will come from renewable sources by 2025, and solar will play a large part. Since 2010, federal agencies have increased use of solar five-fold, with solar now accounting for 19 percent of renewable electricity use and 180 megawatts of onsite power. 

Federal leadership in deploying renewable energy has contributed to significant progress in deploying solar. When President Obama took office, there wasn’t a single utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar plant in America larger than 20 megawatts. But beginning in 2009, the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office stepped in to provide more than $4.6 billion in loan guarantees to support construction of the first five utility-scale PV solar facilities in the U.S. larger than 100 MW. Mesquite I was one of those projects. 

Since those first five solar plants were financed, dozens of utility-scale PV projects have been financed without DOE loan guarantees and are either under construction or already producing clean energy. The dedication of Mesquite III takes the success of these projects even further by demonstrating how government can work together across agencies and with the private sector.

From solar to wind, renewables across the board have seen costs drop and deployment increase. Last year, the United States brought online as much solar energy every three weeks as it did in all of 2008, and the solar industry added jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy. And since the beginning of 2010, the average cost of a solar electric system has dropped by 50 percent. By leading at the federal level, agencies, both military and civilian are not only reaping the benefits of transitioning to renewable power, but also leading by example.

At the same time, it is imperative to ramp up investment in the next generation of clean-energy technologies.  That’s why during the first day of the Paris climate summit last year, President Obama joined 19 other world leaders to launch Mission Innovation, a multi-nation commitment, which has now grown to include the European Union, to double government investment in clean-energy research and development over five years—and today we are announcing these Mission Innovation partners will invest a combined $30 billion per year by 2021.

The invention, development, and commercialization of clean-energy technologies requires complementary leadership roles from both government and the private sector in transitioning new technologies from the lab to the marketplace. One year ago, as part of the Clean Energy Investment Initiative, the Obama Administration announced over $4 billion in commitments by foundations, institutional investors, and other long-term investors to scale up clean-energy innovation and climate-change solutions.  Over the past year, the Administration has delivered a series of executive actions to unlock even more private-sector investment in clean-energy innovation, including the launch of the DOE’s Clean Energy Investment Center; the Treasury Department’s new guidance on mission-related investments (MRIs) and final rule on program-related investments (PRIs) that facilitate charitable-foundation impact investing; and the Department of Labor’s new guidance clarifying that environmental, social, and governance factors may have a direct relationship to the economic and financial value of an investment for certain pension funds. In the months ahead, the Administration will take new actions to further expand private-sector investment in clean energy innovation and accelerate the transition to a clean-energy economy.

Today, responding to the Administration’s call to action, many universities, entrepreneurial organizations, and investors are making new commitments to accelerate clean-energy innovation and expand investment in climate solutions. These are just some of many examples of the new work that the United States is increasingly seeing from its leaders.

AMERICA'S UNIVERSITIES LEADING THE CLEAN-ENERGY TRANSFORMATION

Innovation often begins at universities, which can serve as research institutions, birthplaces of entrepreneurship, and “first adopters” of new clean energy technologies. Twelve university presidents in the Climate Leadership Network are joining with Clean Energy Trust and Second Nature to launch Campus Cleantech Pilots, a new effort to accelerate clean-energy technology commercialization by opening universities as first-of-a-kind testing and demonstration platforms for startups.  Clean Energy Trust, a Chicago-based nonprofit startup accelerator supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will match startups from across the country with universities, allowing the startups to deploy new technology at the university and use the results to secure a first customer or commercial pilot.  Climate Leadership Network colleges and universities in all regions of the country will get a first look at innovative technologies they can deploy across their campuses, benefit from innovative classroom and research integration, and advance the energy-related goals driven by the Climate Leadership Commitments they have made as part of the Network.  Inaugural university participants include Agnes Scott College, Ball State University, California State University-Northridge, Central Community College, George Washington University, Huston-Tillotson University, New York University, Portland State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Spelman College, University of Minnesota-Morris, and Western Michigan University.

In addition, Stanford University is announcing Bits & Watts, a new collaboration between the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy and the DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, which will focus on research, education, and translation of academic work to build a decarbonized electricity-grid system capable of handling more than 50 percent renewables and a wide range of distributed energy resources.  Bits & Watts will create and integrate knowledge from engineering, business, finance, regulatory frameworks, and behavioral sciences.  This new initiative, which has support from government and industry, will officially launch in October 2016 in collaboration with businesses, policymakers, and institutions from around the world.  

Accelerating the Success of Clean-Energy Entrepreneurs

Getting clean-energy innovations to market can require access to costly scientific equipment, along with patient, long-term capital to meet rigorous technical and market milestones.  Both government and philanthropy can play a catalytic role for entrepreneurs at the earliest stages.

For example, just last week, the DOE launched Chain Reaction Innovations, a new incubator for clean-energy entrepreneurs embedded within Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago.  Modeled after the Cyclotron Road program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, this new effort will provide entrepreneurs with access to Argonne’s deep network of 1,400 multidisciplinary researchers and engineers as well as unique tools such as the Mira supercomputer and the Advanced Photon Source.

Wells Fargo is announcing the third round of its Innovation Incubator (IN2), a first of its kind, 5-year, $10 million philanthropic incubator program funded by the Wells Fargo foundation and administered by the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Lab.  This program has created an ecosystem and platform to provide non-dilutive funding for technical assistance and business related services for startups working to bring commercial building efficiency solutions to market. Participating companies have an opportunity to test their technologies in Wells Fargo's buildings as well as receive mentorship from banking executives.

Energy Excelerator, a Hawaii-based nonprofit startup program dedicated to energy challenges, is announcing the first investments from its EEx Fund One, first launched at last year’s White House Clean Energy Investment Summit.  This fund supports portfolio startups in energy, transportation, water, and agriculture that have been successful in raising private capital.  In addition, Energy Excelerator will share its model for use by California-based clean energy startup accelerator programs, as part of the California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (CalSEED) Initiative led by the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF).  Supported by the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense over the past six years, the Energy Excelerator portfolio includes over 40 startups that have raised over $225 million in follow-on funding.

PRIME Coalition has also built momentum since launch at the White House Clean Energy Investment Summit by adding the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as the ninth philanthropic organization to support PRIME’s work. This year, PRIME has facilitated the catalytic use of charitable capital in early-stage climate innovation ventures, including participation from the Blue Haven Initiative, Ellis Family Fund at The Boston Foundation, JUST Water, Sorenson Impact Foundation, and the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation. This summer, PRIME will tour the United States to kick-start an educational program to encourage philanthropists—foundations, donor advised funds, and philanthropic families—to combat climate change by funding early-stage climate innovation.

Aligning Investments with the Clean-Energy Transformation

Institutional investors must take the long view in order to deliver long-term value to their stakeholders, so it’s no surprise that a growing number of foundations, pension funds, and other long-term investors are aligning their portfolios with the clean-energy transformation now underway.  To help meet demand from investors, last week the Administration announced a new proposal to drive greater disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risk data by contractors in the Federal Government’s supply chain.

Today The McKnight Foundation is announcing that it has invested more than $370 million in clean-energy and climate solutions that align its investments with its philanthropic objectives through public and private market vehicles that address climate change. The public market investments strive to integrate long-term sustainability into the investment thesis and seek companies that produce fewer greenhouse gases than their broader market peers.  The private investments include renewable-energy development, a direct investment into a specialty financing company that drives installation of resource efficient and renewable infrastructure, and a program related investment (PRI) with a community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides low cost capital to environmentally responsible and entrepreneurial businesses in Appalachia.

Meanwhile, the Nia Community Fund, focused on grants and investments that work towards social equity and environmental sustainability in Oakland, California, is adding $5 million to its endowment that is 100% invested in sustainability and clean-energy solutions.  Building on this new commitment, Nia will seek to strengthen the clean-energy investment field by publishing impact-investing guides and other education materials for family offices, foundations, and other long-term investors.

Finally, Mercer Investment Consulting LLC, a global investment consultant, is announcing two new projects with institutional investors: one with the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) focused on educating U.S. public pension fund fiduciaries about the potential legal and economic risks associated with high-carbon portfolios and their opportunities to reduce those risks; and the other covering the landscape of investment products available to members of Divest/Invest Philanthropy, a coalition of over 140 foundations and other investors representing $12 billion in total assets that have committed at least 5%—and in many cases over 10%—of their respective endowments to investing in clean-energy and climate solutions.

In the President’s words, “We have to accelerate our transition to the clean energy economy of tomorrow.  And we need the world’s smartest scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to help us do it.”  The United States was built on the combined labor and leadership of individuals, companies, philanthropies, universities, and governments. When these organizations all work towards a common goal, transformational changes become not just possible, but inevitable. Today’s public and private-sector efforts represent yet another important series of steps down that road.

Last week, President Obama visited an advanced battery factory in Jacksonville, Florida. As part of the clean-energy revolution that’s creating jobs and making our planet safer and more secure at the same time, this factory makes cutting edge energy-storage technology that will continue to help integrate new power sources into the electric grid. This week, American clean-energy leadership is also on display at the annual summit of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Over the past seven years, ARPA-E has invested in 475 transformative energy technologies that have secured over $1.25 billion in cumulative follow-on funding from the private sector.

Our progress on clean energy:

Solar power: ↑ more than 30x
Wind power: ↑ threefold
Oil imports: ↓ nearly 60%https://t.co/ESpewxu09F

— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) February 26, 2016

These milestones were made possible seven years ago, when President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). Not only did the Recovery Act stimulate the economy and raise GDP by an estimated 2-3 percent following the depths of the Great Recession, but it also made the largest single investment in clean energy in history, providing more than $90 billion in strategic clean-energy investments and tax incentives to accelerate job creation and the deployment of low-carbon technologies. 

This historic investment toward a 21st century clean-energy economy included the seed funding for ARPA-E, a new agency within DOE with the mission to advance potentially transformational energy technologies that are too early in their development to attract private-sector investment. ARPA-E’s projects, many on display this week at the annual summit, include entirely new ways to generate, store, transform, and use energy – from an airborne wind turbine that transmits electricity from the sky; to liquid-flow batteries that provide grid storage and flexibility; to bio-engineered organisms that can make fuel directly from electricity, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.

We need to double down on these core investments to maintain American leadership and accelerate the transition to a clean-energy economy. That’s why the President’s FY2017 Budget proposes to double funding for clean-energy research and development (R&D) over the next five years, from $6.4 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 to $12.8 billion in FY 2021, to meet the U.S. commitment to the landmark 20-nation Mission Innovation initiative announced at the Paris climate summit. This expansion of clean energy R&D, which is in line with the recommendations of numerous expert studies, would include a tripling of ARPA-E’s budget to approximately $1 billion in 2021.

Beyond these essential government investments in R&D, we need more private-sector investment in new clean-energy technologies on their way from the laboratory to the commercial marketplace. While global private investment in commercial technologies like wind and solar surged last year to an all-time high, global private investment in early-stage clean energy has not kept pace. That’s why at last year’s ARPA-E summit, White House Senior Advisor Brian Deese announced the Clean Energy Investment Initiative, an Administration effort to catalyze and expand private-sector investment in solutions to climate change, including innovative technologies with breakthrough potential to reduce carbon pollution.

One year later, the Clean Energy Investment Initiative has yielded a promising roster of private-sector commitments and complementary executive actions, including:

• The Department of Energy’s new Clean Energy Investment Center (CEIC) opened for business and has already made substantial progress in its mission to advance private, mission-oriented investment in clean energy technologies. The CEIC is currently building a Lab Partnering Service that will facilitate direct, single-point access for the public to the rich clean-energy technology expertise of the National Laboratories, and just released a Request for Information as an opportunity for the public to inform its future priorities and objectives.
• The Treasury Department published new guidance to clarify that foundations are permitted to make certain mission-related investments (MRIs) in companies that further the foundation’s charitable purposes. Some long-term investments in climate solutions, including clean-energy technologies that can yield market returns after a relatively long period of illiquidity, may be attractive MRIs for foundations seeking to reduce carbon emissions or prevent climate change. A final rule facilitating program-related investments by charitable foundations is coming soon, too.
• The Department of Labor published new guidance clarifying that environmental, social, and governance factors may have a direct relationship to the economic and financial value of an investment for certain pension funds, and thus may be proper components of the fund’s analysis of the economic and financial merits of competing investment choices.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is announcing its second cohort of clean energy research teams at Cyclotron Road, a new home for entrepreneurial researchers to advance energy technologies until they can succeed beyond the research lab.
• More than $4 billion has been committed by major foundations, institutional investors, and other long-term investors to scale up clean-energy innovation and climate change solutions, including several new clean energy investment collaborations that aim to significantly reduce the transaction costs of investing in early- and growth-stage technologies.

The full path to market for a new clean energy technology – from an “aha” moment in a scientific laboratory to a complex system installed at scale – can take decades and involve hundreds of individual inventions, improvements, and optimizations. The President’s ambitious actions to cut carbon pollution will ensure that America takes a comprehensive approach to the climate technology challenge, including a balanced mix of basic science, applied research and development, lab-to-market support, and incentives for widespread deployment – including smart pollution standards that reward innovation in cutting emissions.

Thanks to principled American leadership, nearly 200 countries adopted the most ambitious climate change agreement in history, sending a powerful signal to global markets that technology innovation and low-carbon infrastructure investments will continue to reinforce one another in the decades to come. The Paris climate summit also marked the launch of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, an independent initiative announced alongside Mission Innovation consisting of 28 influential investors from 10 countries pledging to invest extraordinary levels of private capital in early-stage clean-energy innovations.  

Now more than ever, the stage is set for rapid progress toward a low-carbon economy, with momentum building all along the innovation pipeline. 

Dr. John P. Holdren is Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of the Science and Technology Policy.

Dan Utech is Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

Last year, the United States brought online as much solar energy every three weeks as it did in all of 2008, and the solar industry added jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy. And since the beginning of 2010, the average cost of a solar electric system has dropped by 50 percent.

But we know that our economy is strongest when every American has the tools to get ahead. That means just as we are working to make high-quality health care and community college more available and affordable to middle-class and low-income families, we must also work to expand opportunities for families to use cleaner sources of energy that can help households save on their utility bills.

That is why today, senior Administration officials were joined by Congressman Cummings and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake in Baltimore to announce a new initiative to increase access to solar for all Americans, including low- and moderate- income communities, and expand opportunities join the solar workforce. Some of the key components of the initiative include:

• Launching a National Community Solar Partnership to unlock access to solar for the nearly 50 percent of households and businesses that are renters or do not have adequate roof space to install solar panels, including issuing a guide to Support States In Developing Community Solar Programs
• Setting a goal to install 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy in federally subsidized housing, triple our original goal, and providing technical assistance to make it easier to install solar, including clarifying how to use Federal funding;
• Housing authorities, rural electric co-ops, power companies, and organizations in more than 20 states across the country are committing to put in place more than 260 solar energy projects, including projects to help low- and moderate- income communities save on their energy bills and further community solar;
• More than $520 million in independent commitments from philanthropic and impact investors, states, and cities to advance community solar or scale up solar and energy efficiency for low- and moderate- income households;
• AmeriCorps funding to deploy solar and create jobs in underserved communities;
• Expanding solar energy education and opportunities for job training; and
• The solar industry is also setting its own, independent goal of becoming the most diverse sector of the U.S. energy industry, and a number of companies are announcing that they are taking steps to build a more inclusive solar workforce. 

These new actions build on President Obama’s goal to train 75,000 workers to enter the solar industry by 2020 and the Solar Ready Vets program that will train transitioning military personnel for careers in the solar industry at 10 military bases. 

Check out some of the photos from today’s event here:

No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change. In June 2013, President Obama put forward a comprehensive Climate Action Plan. We are making great strides in advancing our climate goals, and perhaps nowhere has progress been as dramatic as in renewable energy.

Today, we harness three times as much electricity from the wind and 10 times as much from the sun as we did since President Obama took office. Wind energy is emerging as a powerhouse in the U.S. energy mix – supporting over 50,000 American jobs and supplying enough energy to power 16 million homes. Wind power advances our energy independence, bolsters our energy security, and combats climate change. A third of all new generating capacity has come from wind over the past five years, and the United States ranks first in the world in wind power generation.

Building on this progress, today the Department of Energy released Wind Vision: A New Era for Wind Power in the United States, a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. wind energy industry. The report shows that the nation can deploy wind power to economically provide 35% of our nation’s electricity and supply renewable power in all 50 states by 2050.

To support continued progress in deploying wind power and other renewable energy, the Administration has proposed a permanent extension of the production tax credit for wind. And today’s report makes clear that wind power is available across the country as one important energy resource that states can rely on to meet the power sector carbon reduction targets set forward in the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.

Some key findings from the report:

• Wind power could help America combat climate change by avoiding more than 12.3 billion tons of carbon pollution cumulatively by 2050, equivalent to avoiding one-third of global annual carbon emissions.
• The wind energy industry could support more than 600,000 jobs by 2050, including engineers, construction workers, truck drivers, factory workers, utility operators, maintenance technicians, electricians, and other supporting services.
• Wind energy could save approximately 260 billion gallons of water by 2050, by side-stepping the water-intensive processes of conventional energy production. At deployment levels examined in the report, the nation’s electric power sector could consume 23% less water.

Wind energy continues to be one of America’s best choices for low-cost, zero-pollution renewable energy – and it is one of our strongest tools to combat climate change.

Step by step, we are securing the foundation for a clean energy future.

And the promise of wind energy for generations to come.

Outdoor lighting in the U.S. will consume enough energy to power 6 million homes this year, costing cities about $10 billion annually.

That is why we are working with mayors to deploy the latest technologies to determine how best to light their cities while saving money. Using today's new technologies, local governments can cut their outdoor lighting bills by 50 percent or more. Today we are launching the Presidential Challenge for Advanced Outdoor Lighting, and tripling the DOE Better Buildings program goal of upgrading 500,000 poles to 1.5 million, to encourage more mayors to lead their cities with this win-win solution.

Through the Better Buildings Outdoor Lighting Accelerator, the Presidential Challenge for Advanced Outdoor Lighting will work with dozens of municipalities to accelerate the adoption and use of high-efficiency outdoor lighting, driving carbon pollution reductions in communities across the nation. Given that streetlight systems can account for up to 60 percent of a city’s electric utility bill, more are taking advantage of the savings that come with upgrading outdoor lighting.

LED light bulbs are an example of a lighting success story that, when taken to the streets, makes a lot of sense. The technology has rapidly improved over the past several years, and the price has dropped. As the technology advances, communities are installing LEDs, and showcasing market acceptance and satisfaction with the technology. Some communities are showing even greater energy savings — as much as 70 percent more with lighting controls. Together with new light bulbs, advanced lighting systems are paying off.

We are excited to recognize the cities stepping up to the President’s Outdoor Lighting Challenge. Through the Better Buildings Outdoor Lighting Accelerator, we are combining the technical expertise at the Energy Department with the shared experiences across a network of leading cities — which you can be a part of — to accelerate the deployment of highly efficient lighting, while helping you realize energy and cost savings for your communities.

In fact, over the duration of the program, Americans will save a total of $1.7 trillion in fuel costs and reduce oil consumption by more than 2 million barrels per day. And we are on track to roughly double fuel economy by 2025. This proves once again that addressing climate change can go hand in hand with strong economic growth. 

Last year marked an important milestone in the Administration’s effort to fight climate change. According to EPA’s new Fuel Economy Trends Report, new vehicles in 2013 achieved their highest fuel economy of all time. Model year 2013 vehicles reached an average of 24.1 miles per gallon – a 0.5-mile-per-gallon increase over the previous year and an increase of nearly 5 miles – or 25 percent – per gallon since 2004. Fuel economy has now increased in eight of the last nine years, and our average carbon emissions last year hit a record low of 369 grams per mile in model year 2013.

Thanks to American ingenuity and the strength of the auto industry, in the last five years, an array of vehicles with higher fuel economy and lower emissions have arrived on the market. Consumers, in effect, are empowered with more options to choose from between a more diverse range of technology packages on conventional gasoline vehicles, as well as more advanced technology and alternative-fueled vehicles.

For consumers looking to make smart choices, the most cost-effective decisions are also the most climate-friendly.

During the next decade, the solar industry is slated to grow even more. The next generation of skilled professionals will be key to the industry’s effort to meet the demand for this clean, renewable energy. That’s why the Energy Department is launching a pilot solar installation training program to provide military veterans who are transitioning out of active duty with the skills needed to become the leaders of the nation’s clean energy economy.

The solar industry has long taken a leading role in hiring veterans, employing more service members than any other sector in the U.S. Building on this tradition, the SunShot Initiative’s Solar Instructor Training Network – which aims to train 50,000 new solar installers in total by 2020, some of who will be veterans – is partnering with up to three military bases to create a veterans solar job training pilot project this fall.

The new training project will connect up to 30 motivated, tech-savvy military personnel at each base with SunShot-supported accredited solar training institutions. Ultimately, lessons learned from this first successful pilot will enable the Energy Department and military branches to expand solar training access to interested veterans, tapping into the Department’s nearly 400 solar training partner institutions nationwide.

Service members in this pilot program will learn how to size and install solar panels, connect electricity to the grid, and interpret and comply with local building codes. This intensive training will prepare them for careers in the solar industry as installers, sales representatives, system inspectors, and other solar-related occupations. In fact, three of the largest U.S. solar companies – Vivint Solar, SolarCity, and SunPower – have already committed to interview graduating military trainees for employment, a step that will help place qualified trainees in the high-paying jobs they are suited for.

To date, SunShot’s Solar Instructor Training Network has trained nearly 1,000 certified solar instructors and provided hands-on training to more than 30,000 students nationwide. The Obama administration has a pledge to make it faster, easier, and cheaper for Americans to choose solar energy, and the SunShot program will help to prepare veterans who are needed to meet the demand of a rapidly growing solar industry.

Dan Utech is the Special Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

Since the President took office, U.S. production of electricity from wind has more than tripled, production of electricity from solar is up more than ten-fold, and production of oil and gas has grown each year. Today, the U.S. is the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas.

Let’s drill down on the facts:

• According to Energy Information Agency (EIA) estimates, U.S. crude oil production averaged more than 7.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2013, up from 5.0 million bpd in 2008. And that was just last year: EIA expects production to increase to more than 8.4 million bpd in 2014; U.S. crude oil production averaged nearly 8.2 million bpd in March already.
• Domestic natural gas production is on pace to set a new record high in 2014. EIA estimates marketed production averaged more than 72 billion cubic feet per day in March, up more than 5 percent from March of last year and up nearly 25 percent from 2008.
• The number of oil and gas drilling rigs has grown over the last four years. As of April 2014, there were 1,835 operating oil and gas rigs, up over 18 percent from 1,553 when President Obama took office in January 2009.

Much of the growth in domestic oil and natural gas production is taking place onshore in shale formations – most of which, more than 90 percent by some estimates, are on private or state lands. Even so, part of the President’s all-of-the-above energy strategy has been to encourage safe and responsible production of oil and gas resources on federal lands and waters as well. 

Onshore, nearly 36.1 million acres of federal land were under lease to oil and gas companies last year. Of that land, over 12.6 million acres were actively producing oil and gas – the highest acreage under production since 2008. Last year, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held 30 separate oil and gas lease sales, offering 5.7 million acres for lease by industry, the most in a decade.

Even as sales have gone up, processing time for onshore drilling permits has gone down – last year, it took an average of 194 days to process an APD, down from 228 in 2012 and faster than any time since 2005.

Offshore, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) offered 59 million acres for lease by industry in the Gulf of Mexico last year, and industry submitted bids on 3 percent of these acres, resulting in $1.3 billion in high bids.  The current Five Year Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program includes 15 potential lease sales in six planning areas that comprise some of the richest and most promising areas for oil and gas exploration and development.

As we continue to encourage development of these important energy resources, we are taking steps to ensure that operations are conducted safely and responsibly. And we are also taking steps to make sure we’re not wasting energy – by putting in place standards and investing in energy efficiency.

For example, the Administration has taken action to double the fuel efficiency of our cars and trucks by 2025. Taken together, the Administration’s national program to improve fuel economy will save consumers more than $1.75 trillion at the gas pump and reduce U.S. oil consumption by 12.5 billion barrels by 2025. 

As we continue to invest in all forms of American-made energy, we continue to create jobs, save consumers money, and grow our economy. 

Learn more:

• Our Climate Action Progress: One-Year Report

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on climate change, at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., June 25, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The effects of climate change are already being felt across the nation. In the past three decades, the percentage of Americans with asthma has more than doubled, and climate change is putting those Americans at greater risk of landing in the hospital. The impacts of extreme weather events – from more severe droughts and wildfires in the West, to more powerful hurricanes and record heat waves – are hitting communities across the country. These changes come with far-reaching consequences and real economic costs.

At the same time, clean energy represents a significant economic opportunity, and we know we can meet this challenge in a way that advances our economy, our environment, and public health at the same time. 

That is why, on this day last year, President Obama announced his Climate Action Plan – a comprehensive plan to cut carbon pollution, prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change, and lead international efforts to combat global climate change.

One year later, the Administration has made real progress in advancing the goals in the President’s Climate Action Plan. The policies President Obama has put forward in just one year – when implemented – are expected to cut nearly 3 billion tons of carbon pollution between 2020 and 2025. That’s an amount equivalent to taking more than 600 million cars off the road for a year.

And it doesn’t stop there. We have increased our reliance on clean energy sources as we take steps to make our communities more resilient to the effects of severe weather, and we are working with other countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases internationally.

In the last year, some key initiatives the President has taken to combat climate change include:

• Carbon pollution standards for power plants: In June 2014, EPA proposed common-sense carbon pollution standards for existing plants, which would protect the health of our children and put our nation on the path toward a 30% reduction in carbon pollution from the power sector by 2030.
• Setting new energy efficiency standards: Cutting our energy waste remains one of the easiest and cheapest ways to combat climate change. That is why in the last year the Energy Department has issued nine proposed energy conservation standards for appliances and equipment and finalized eight energy conservation standards. In total, these final rules alone are expected to reduce carbon pollution by 340 million metric tons through 2030, with more reductions coming later once the proposals are finalized.
• Strengthening building codes: In May 2014, DOE preliminarily affirmed the industry’s latest commercial building energy code, which cuts up to 30 percent more energy waste than today’s predominant state energy codes. The updated code will help states and the federal government save money and energy on building operations and cut emissions by 230 million metric tons of carbon pollution by 2030.
• Developing heavy-duty engines and vehicles: In February 2014, President Obama directed EPA and the Transportation Department to develop and issue the next phase of fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by March 2016.
• State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force: In November 2014, President Obama established the State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, which is made up of 26 governors, county executives, mayors, and tribal leaders whose task is to advise the Administration on how the federal government can respond to the needs of communities nationwide that are dealing with the impacts of climate change.
• National Climate Assessment: In May 2014, the Administration released the Third U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA), the most authoritative and comprehensive source of scientific information to date about climate change impacts across all U.S. regions and on critical sectors of the economy.
• Leading internationally: The Administration has made substantial progress in implementing the President’s announcement to end public U.S. financing for new conventional coal plants overseas, except in the poorest countries. Already, seven countries have announced that they would join the U.S. coal finance policy, including the United Kingdom, the five Nordic countries, and the Netherlands. The World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and European Investment Bank all announced similar policies in the second half of 2013. 

You can read more about our progress in this report. Through the Climate Action Plan, the U.S. has become a leader in climate change mitigation and preparedness, and our work is just the beginning. As we continue to combat climate change at home, we continue to lead a worldwide effort to prepare for a cleaner, healthier, and safer future.

In a big step forward, yesterday the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates, a body representing more than 500 medical associations and organizations, voted to formally reaffirm their support for carbon pollution standards for power plants and committed to submit comments on the EPA’s proposal underscoring the need to keep strong standards that protect public health. AMA’s vote puts them alongside other public health organizations that have taken leadership on this issue, including the American Thoracic Society and the American Lung Association.

In addition to cutting carbon emissions from the power sector by about 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, EPA’s plan will also decrease that sector’s emissions of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by about 25 percent. From the soot and smog reductions alone, for every dollar invested through the Clean Power Plan, American families will see up to $7 in health benefits.

In the first year that these standards go into effect, up to 100,000 asthma attacks and up to 2,100 heart attacks will be prevented. These standards will also help more kids to be healthy enough to show up to school – with up to 72,000 fewer absences in the first year. The benefits increase each year from there.

It’s a big step toward cleaner air and better public health.

You may also like:

• Myths and Facts: Cutting Carbon Pollution
• By the Numbers: The EPA's Proposed New Carbon Pollution Standards for Power Plants
• Raw Video: President Obama Talks with Young Asthma Patients
• Weekly Address: Reducing Carbon Pollution in Our Power Plants
• Infographic: Here's How Modernizing Our Power Plants Will Make Our Communities Healthier

But just because this common-sense proposal will have huge benefits for hard-working Americans across the country, that doesn’t mean some people won’t spread misinformation and launch false attacks.

Throughout our history, when America has taken steps to cut pollution and protect public health, opponents have made dire predictions about destroying jobs and harming the economy – and throughout our history they’ve been wrong. This time will be no different. So let’s look at some of the myths they will try to spread and the facts that dispel them.

Myth: Carbon pollution standards will destroy jobs and hurt the economy.

Fact: Americans know we can cut pollution and protect the health of our kids while creating jobs.

Over the years, this has been the polluters’ favorite myth. When we passed the Clean Air Act to combat smog, they said new pollution standards would decimate the auto industry. In 1990, when we took steps to stop acid rain, they claimed the lights would go out and businesses around the country would suffer.

The facts tell a different story.

EPA has been protecting air quality for more than 40 years, and in that time we've cut pollution by 70 percent while the economy has more than tripled.

So Americans know we don't have to choose between cutting carbon pollution to protect the health of our kids and creating jobs.

In fact – they go hand in hand. Cutting carbon pollution from power plants will spark innovation and drive investment in clean energy technologies and energy efficiency that will create jobs and save families money. It will also result in significant health benefits, which will yield medical savings.

EPA’s detailed economic analysis shows that this proposal will create tens of thousands of jobs all over the country.

Myth: Carbon pollution standards will cause Americans’ utility bills to spike.

Fact: Cutting carbon pollution will help eliminate waste and save families money on their electric bills.

Another old industry favorite. Some of America’s biggest polluters have already started spreading the myth that EPA’s common-sense proposal will cause Americans’ electric bills to “nearly double.” But an independent fact check found their claim is based on “bogus, hyped” information and “does not pass the laugh test.”

In reality, EPA’s plan will cut carbon pollution so we can protect the health of our kids without impacting the energy bills of ordinary Americans. In fact, these standards will actually shrink electricity bills roughly 8 percent by increasing energy efficiency and reducing demand in the electricity system.

Myth: This administration is waging a war on coal.

Fact:  For years, the President’s political opponents have been blaming him for market trends that started well before the President took office.

Independent energy market analysts have been frequently cited noting that the shift away from coal is mostly about competition from cheaper natural gas and that the decline in coal jobs started well before President Obama took office. As the National Journal reported last year, “In fact, coal mining jobs in Appalachia fared far worse under the Reagan, Clinton, and George H.W. Bush administrations than they have under Obama.”

But even with those market trends and these common-sense steps to cut pollution, there’s no question that coal will play a significant role in our energy mix for the foreseeable future. That’s exactly what EPA’s analysis of this rule shows, and it’s why the Obama administration has made significant investments in clean coal technology.

Myth: This rule threatens the reliability of Americans’ electricity.

Fact: This flexible proposal allows states to implement the standards without impacting reliability.

EPA’s proposal lays out responsible, steady steps to cut carbon pollution and protect public health while giving states the flexibility they need to ensure Americans have reliable, affordable power. EPA’s extensive analysis shows that the standards can be implemented without impacting reliability.

But it’s not just EPA who has said that the dire predictions about reliability are badly overblown.

Here are some key findings from a recent independent study by a respected energy expert:

• “To date, implementation of new environmental rules has not produced reliability problems...”
• Utilities and energy companies have “taken a wide variety of steps to ensure reliability.”
• “Regarding the upcoming EPA regulations of GHG emissions from existing power plants, reliability concerns are misplaced.”

This isn’t the first time that special interests have claimed that common-sense regulations will turn out the lights – or the first time they’ve been wrong.

Myth: Climate change isn’t real.

Fact: Climate change is real, it’s happening now, and it’s affecting every region of the country.

Last month, a team of more than 300 climate scientists produced the most comprehensive scientific assessment ever generated of climate change and its impacts across every region of America and major sectors of the U.S. economy. They warned that “Climate change is already affecting the American people in far-reaching ways,” and that it is “disrupting people’s lives and damaging some sectors of our economy.”

We have a moral obligation to leave our children a planet that’s not polluted or damaged. We already set limits for arsenic, mercury, and lead, but we let power plants release as much carbon pollution as they want.

Denying climate change might be good for the bottom line of big oil companies and polluters who fund bogus studies, but the rest of us are already dealing with the effects of carbon pollution that causes climate change. In the past three decades, the percentage of Americans with asthma has more than doubled, and the consequences of climate change – smog, ozone, etc. – are putting more and more Americans at greater risk of landing in the hospital. And extreme weather events – from more severe droughts and wildfires in the west to more powerful hurricanes and record heat waves – are hitting communities across the country. Climate and weather disasters in 2012 cost the American economy more than $100 billion.

Now is the time to act.

Find out more about how climate change is affecting your part of the country.

Learn more:

• See how the standards will make our communities healthier
• Get the numbers behind the EPA's new proposed rule
• Find out more about the President's plan to fight climate change

Here are some numbers that help explain today’s announcement:

• Nearly 40 is the number of percentage points of total carbon pollution that comes from power plants. The President’s Climate Action Plan has focused on modernizing our buildings, factories, cars, and trucks – but altogether, they make up a little over half of all the carbon pollution. It makes sense, then, that our next logical step would be to modernize the power sector, putting in place the first-ever carbon pollution standards for power plants.
• More than 300 is the number of groups EPA engaged with across the country – including 11 public listening sessions that hosted more than 3,000 people – in order to develop its proposal. And the outreach continues. After the proposed rule is published, there will be a 120-day public comment period to make sure the final standards reflect all the best ideas and input from everyone includes states, utilities, labor, health advocates, environmental groups and industry.
• 30 is the number of percentage points of total carbon pollution that will be cut from our power sector by 2030 – relative to 2005 levels. That is like erasing the annual carbon pollution from two-thirds of all cars and trucks in America. And if you add up what we will avoid between 2020 and 2030 under the proposal, it’s more than the carbon pollution from every power plant in America in 2012 – times two. 
• 50 is the number of ways the EPA proposal can be implemented; this proposal puts tools in the hands of each state and its governor – there’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. And let’s remember that the idea of setting higher standards to cut carbon pollution isn’t new. 47 states have utilities that run demand-side energy efficiency programs, 38 have renewable portfolio standards or goals, and 10 have market-based greenhouse gas emissions programs.
• 48 to 84 billion is the number of dollars of net benefits that the proposal will generate in 2030. A big share of those net benefits come from lives saved and quality of life improved, asthma attacks avoided and fewer days of missed school or work. Specific 2030 benefits include up to:
  • 150,000 fewer asthma attacks
  • 3,700 less cases of bronchitis in children
  • 180,000 fewer days of school missed
  • 310,000 fewer lost work days
  • 6,600 less premature deaths
  • 3,300 fewer heart attacks
  • 1,700 avoided hospital emergency room visits
• Tens of thousands are the number of jobs that EPA and others estimate will be created by the proposed standards – including machinists to manufacture energy-efficient appliances, construction workers to build efficient homes and buildings or weatherize existing ones, service providers to do energy audits and install efficient technologies, and engineers and programmers to design and improve building energy management systems.
• 8 is the number of percentage points by which families and businesses will be able to cut their electricity bill under the EPA proposal in 2030. Taking advantage of energy efficiency, states can implement the EPA’s proposal in a way that drives billions of investment into retrofits like upgrades to windows and heating and cooling systems; deployment of better appliances through programs like accelerated buy-back; and improved energy management including through smart metering.  Steps like this will cut energy waste and cut electricity bills.
• More than 80 is the number of countries – representing over 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions – who pledged in 2009 to take climate actions through 2020 under the Copenhagen Accord.  As countries prepare long-range carbon reduction goals for a global climate deal expected in 2015, they are looking to the United States for leadership and an example to follow. The President’s Climate Action Plan ensures that America will be a leader in those negotiations and in the global fight against climate change.
• 44 is the number of years that EPA’s legal authority to reduce air pollution has been around. The Clean Air Act, enacted by Congress in 1970, established mechanisms for controlling emissions of air pollutants from stationary sources – including power plants. In the year 2010 alone, updates to the Act are estimated to have prevented more than 160,000 premature deaths, 130,000 heart attacks, 86,000 hospital admissions, 13 million lost workdays, and 3.2 million lost school days due to respiratory illness and other diseases caused or exacerbated by air pollution.

Finally, zero – that’s the number of times special interests have been right about having to choose between the health of our people and the health of our economy.  

Learn more:

• See how the standards will make our communities healthier
• Find out more about the President's plan to fight climate change

Since President Obama took office, U.S. solar generation has grown more than ten-fold. Since 2011 alone, the cost of a solar energy system has dropped by more than 50 percent. And last year, about one quarter of new power generation capacity came from solar. 

We know that solar is winning in America: It’s good for our environment, our economy, and our energy security. But it’s not alone. Energy efficiency is one of the easiest and cheapest tools we have for combating climate change while expanding opportunity. That’s why the Obama Administration has developed efficiency measures, such as new appliance standards, that will cut carbon pollution and save consumers billions on their utility bills in the next two decades. The Energy Department has partnered with 190 organizations through the Better Buildings Challenge to advance energy efficiency over the next 10 years – and they are making tremendous progress. And fuel economy standards for our cars and trucks mean we are – and will continue to be – less reliant on foreign oil.

But there’s more we can do. That’s why today we announced new executive actions to cut energy waste, create jobs, and reduce carbon pollution. These initiatives will help build a skilled solar workforce, provide innovative financing for deploying solar, improve appliance efficiency, strengthen building codes, and drive investment in energy upgrades to federal buildings. You can read more about our announcements on this fact sheet.

We’re making great progress. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we asked leaders from every sector to build on the momentum that’s driving solar deployment and efficiency investments throughout the country – and make a commitment to do more.

Today, more than 300 organizations have partnered with us and committed to deploy clean energy and cut energy waste. Our partners span every corner of the United States – from a vegetable farm in California to a rural electric co-op in Kentucky, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority to a homebuilder in Texas. Together they show us that no matter where you live in America, cleaner, more efficient power is becoming increasingly accessible and affordable for you and your family.

All in all, these commitments represent more than 850 megawatts of solar that will be deployed – enough to power nearly 130,000 homes. And with more businesses, rural cooperatives, and homeowners choosing solar, prices will keep going down, manufacturers will keep innovating, and more jobs will be created.

That’s what we heard from folks all across the solar supply chain who joined us for the April White House Solar Summit – from installers like Evergreen Energy Solutions and Everyday Energy to suppliers like Soligent – they all recognize the economic opportunity of clean energy and see solar demand as a job creator.

In the coming weeks, our efforts to deploy clean energy, cut carbon pollution, and fight climate change will take new aim. And we will continue to work with our partners – from every sector and every corner of America – to implement the President’s Climate Action Plan and advance this country toward a cleaner energy future.

We know that we can address climate change in a way that creates jobs and grows the economy. As we deploy solar power, we spur innovation. As we cut our energy waste, we create jobs. And as a result, cleaner efficient forms of energy are powering more of this nation every day.

That’s what today is about. That’s what President Obama’s year of action means. We’re acting now because we need to. The opportunity couldn’t be bigger.

Dan Utech is the Special Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

Learn more:

• Take a behind-the-scenes look at the solar panels on the White House roof
• Read our progress report on advancing toward a clean energy future
• Get the details about the President's plan to fight climate change

To meet these standards, the American auto industry responded with innovation. They found ways to cut tailpipe emissions, make air conditioners for our cars more efficient, and deploy early incentives for alternative fuel vehicles. Today, with the release of the Manufacturers Report for model year 2012, we have our first glimpse into the progress we are making in meeting these targets.

The result? The auto industry has not only met – but actually surpassed – the fuel economy targets by roughly 10 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. The industry continues to deploy newer and cleaner technologies than any we’d fathomed when first developing these standards. Already, approximately 28 percent of vehicles sold in 2013 already meet the most stringent greenhouse gas targets for 2016. Manufacturers are developing cleaner vehicles even faster than anticipated, and consumer demand is supporting them.

As we implement the President’s Climate Action Plan, the American auto industry continues to play a crucial role in cutting our carbon pollution, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating good-paying American jobs. And thanks to this accelerated progress, signs for the future look even more promising on the road ahead.

Dan Utech is the Special Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

And for good reason. Solar is a smart investment.  The average cost of solar panels has dropped by more than 60%, and the cost for a solar photovoltaic electric system has declined by about 50%.  The numbers tell an important story: There has never been a time when solar is more affordable and more available to so many Americans.  Solar is not just a prospect; it’s a reality. 

And it’s a reality that means new jobs. Solar jobs are growing faster than in any other sector in the United States – by more than 20% each year. Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar, supporting Americans with jobs that can’t be outsourced – 143,000 of them and counting.

Behind these successes are the community leaders, innovators, educators, and organizers who are making it happen. Today, we are recognizing ten Champions of Change for Solar, local leaders from across the country who are stepping up to create jobs and economic opportunity in solar power and driving policy changes at the local level to advance solar deployment in the United States. 

And to build on our progress, we are also announcing a new effort designed to spur solar deployment in the public and private sectors.  President Obama is committed to making 2014 a year of action.  In that spirit, we are calling on leaders across sectors to make commitments to support solar deployment and job creation. You can read about our effort on this fact sheet.

As we seek to advance our energy portfolio, solar will be an increasingly important building block in our path toward a clean energy future.  And it’s ours for the taking.

In his Climate Action Plan, President Obama directed the Administration to develop a comprehensive, interagency strategy to cut methane emissions. Today, the White House released the Climate Action Plan – Strategy to Cut Methane Emissions. Learn more about the strategy in the fact sheet below, and check out the full Strategy here.

Dan Utech is the Special Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

FACT SHEET: Climate Action Plan – Strategy to Cut Methane Emissions

With an all-of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our kids’ health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations. That’s why last June, President Obama issued a broad-based Climate Action Plan, announcing a series of executive actions to reduce carbon pollution, prepare the U.S. for the impacts of climate change, and lead international efforts to address global climate change.

Since June, the Administration has made substantial progress in meeting the ambitious goals laid out in the Climate Action Plan in a way that advances our economy, our environment, and public health. In just the last few months:

• The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced permitting the 50th renewables-related project on federal lands during the Administration - bringing us closer to meeting the goal of siting enough wind and solar projects on public lands by 2020 to power more than 6 million homes.
• President Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation to develop fuel economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles to save families money at the pump and further reduce reliance on foreign oil and fuel consumption.
• The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued two proposed energy conservation standards for appliances and equipment and finalized two energy conservation standards. That’s on top of the five proposed and two final energy conservation standards DOE has already issued since June. These standards will help cut consumers' electricity bills by billions of dollars.
• The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced seven new “climate hubs” to help farmers and ranchers adapt their operations to a changing climate and the President’s Budget proposed a $1 billion in new funding for new technologies and incentives to build smarter, more resilient infrastructure to help communities prepare for a changing climate.
• The Administration announced the Climate Data Initiative, an ambitious new effort bringing together extensive open government data and design competitions with commitments from the private and philanthropic sectors to develop data-driven planning and resilience tools for local communities. This effort will help give communities across America the information and tools they need to plan for current and future climate impacts.
• The Administration has continued the work of the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group that’s working to promote clean energy and transportation solutions in both countries. And we’re working closely with India to accelerate its clean energy revolution and address the impacts of climate change in vulnerable communities.

Today, the Administration is releasing another key element called for in the President’s Climate Action Plan – a Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions. The strategy summarizes the sources of methane emissions, commits to new steps to cut emissions of this potent greenhouse gas, and outlines the Administration’s efforts to improve the measurement of these emissions. The strategy builds on progress to date and takes steps to further cut methane emissions from landfills, coal mining, and agriculture, and oil and gas systems through cost-effective voluntary actions and common-sense standards. Key steps include:

• Landfills: In the summer of 2014, the EPA will propose updated standards to reduce methane from new landfills and take public comment on whether to update standards for existing landfills.
• Coal Mines:  In April 2014, the DOI’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will release an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to gather public input on the development of a program for the capture and sale, or disposal of waste mine methane on lands leased by the Federal government.  
• Agriculture: In June, in partnership with the dairy industry, the USDA, EPA and DOE will jointly release a “Biogas Roadmap” outlining voluntary strategies to accelerate adoption of methane digesters and other cost-effective technologies to reduce U.S. dairy sector greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.
• Oil and Gas: Building on success in reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector through voluntary programs and targeted regulations, the Administration will take new actions to encourage additional cost-effective reductions. Key steps include:
  • In the spring of 2014, EPA will assess several potentially significant sources of methane and other emissions from the oil and gas sector. EPA will solicit input from independent experts through a series of technical white papers, and in the fall of 2014, EPA will determine how best to pursue further methane reductions from these sources. If EPA decides to develop additional regulations, it will complete those regulations by the end of 2016.
  • Later this year, the BLM will propose updated standards to reduce venting and flaring from oil and gas production on public lands. 
  • As part of the Quadrennial Energy Review, and through DOE-convened roundtables, the Administration will identify “downstream” methane reduction opportunities. Through the Natural Gas STAR program, EPA will work with the industry to expand voluntary efforts to reduce methane emissions.

Taking action to curb methane waste and pollution is important because emissions of methane make up nearly 9 percent of all the greenhouse gas emitted as a result of human activity in the United States. Since 1990, methane pollution in the United States has decreased by 11 percent, even as activities that can produce methane have increased. However, methane pollution is projected to increase to a level equivalent to over 620 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution in 2030 absent additional action to reduce emissions.

Reducing methane emissions is a powerful way to take action on climate change; and putting methane to use can support local economies with a source of clean energy that generates revenue, spurs investment and jobs, improves safety, and leads to cleaner air. When fully implemented, the policies in the methane strategy will improve public health and safety while recovering otherwise wasted energy to power our communities, farms, factories, and power plants.   

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on improving the fuel efficiency of American trucks, at the Safeway Distribution Center in Upper Marlboro, Md., Feb. 18, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

When the President took office, the fuel efficiency standards for our cars had been stuck at 27.5 miles per gallon for twenty years – two decades of lost time when it comes to developing new technologies that can get more miles per gallon out of every tankful of gas. That’s why one of the very first actions the President took in office was to direct the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation to work with the auto industry to develop new fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. It was guided by a belief that if this industry was truly going to come back stronger than before – and thrive over the long term – then we had to build the cars of the future right here in America. After all, improving fuel efficiency represents one of the best opportunities we have to reduce our dependence on oil.

With the President’s leadership, we were able to move forward. Taken together, the standards the Administration has put in place for cars and light trucks span model years 2011 to 2025 and they represent the toughest fuel economy standards in history. Under this first-ever national program, average fuel efficiency for cars and trucks will nearly double, reaching an average performance equivalent of about 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

In 2011, the President also established the first-ever fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, covering model years 2014 through 2018. Over the lifetimes of the vehicles covered, trucks and buses will reduce oil consumption by a projected 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas pollution by approximately 270 million metric tons, saving vehicle owners and operators an estimated $50 billion in fuel costs.

Today, the President directed the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation to set the next round of fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks by March 2016. This next round of fuel efficiency standards will build on the historic work done to date, support American manufacturing innovation, and spur the development of new technologies. After years of idling on fuel efficiency, America’s truck fleet is on a straight road to lower emissions, fuel savings for drivers, and leading the world in advanced vehicles.

Check out our progress report, Improving the Fuel Efficiency of American Trucks, to learn more about today’s announcement and find out how the President is taking action on climate change by improving the efficiency of our vehicles.

Learn more:

Improving the Fuel Efficiency of American Trucks – Bolstering Energy Security, Cutting Carbon Pollution, Saving Money and Supporting Manufacturing Innovation

• Fact Sheet
• Progress Report

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on climate change, at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., June 25, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In June 2013, President Obama gave a speech at Georgetown University where he laid out both the case for action on climate change and the steps his Administration will take to address it. The Climate Action Plan that the President announced includes steps to cut carbon pollution, help prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change that are already on the way, and continue American leadership in international efforts to combat global climate change. As we begin 2014, seven months after the President’s speech, we can report that the Administration is delivering on the ambitious goals the President put forward. 

In the past few months, the Administration has taken important steps under the Climate Action Plan to move to cleaner sources of power, strengthen our communities against climate change impacts such as the threat of more severe weather, and engage our international partners. The Department of the Interior continued to approve renewable energy projects on our Federal; the Department of Energy has proposed new energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment that will help cut consumers' electricity bills; and the Environmental Protection Agency has taken common sense steps to cut carbon pollution from power plants.

In addition, the President has signed an Executive Order on Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change, and we have brought together a diverse group of elected officials through the State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. The Administration has also made significant progress in leading multilateral and bilateral efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions while working to advance international climate negotiations.

Taking on the challenge of climate change will require an all-hands effort.  Over the last seven months we have made progress under the President’s Climate Action plan towards meeting this challenge in a way that advances our economy, our environment, and public health at the same time. For more highlights on the Administration’s work since the President’s speech, check out our latest Progress Report on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan.

Learn more:

• Watch President Obama's June 2013 Climate Action Plan speech
• Read the Climate Action Plan
• Infographic: Climate Change and President Obama's Action Plan

Wind Energy

In 2012, wind was America’s largest source of new electricity generation capacity, accounting for 43 percent of all new installations. Altogether the United States has deployed about 60 gigawatts of wind power — enough to power 15 million homes. This growth in wind deployment has spurred more U.S. manufacturing.  A recent DOE wind market report estimates 72 percent of the wind turbine equipment installed in the United States last year was made by domestic manufacturers, nearly tripling from 25 percent in 2006-2007. And according to the American Wind Energy Association, by 2012 there were well over 80,000 workers employed in wind-related jobs in the U.S. 

Supported by Administration investments, generation of electricity from wind and solar has more than doubled, and the costs of solar and wind technologies have come down significantly.  

Solar Energy

Since 2008, the price of solar panels has fallen by 75 percent, and solar installations have increased by a factor of 13. Administration support has helped to launch some largest solar projects in the world, and renewable energy permitting on federal lands has gone from virtually zero to nearly 50 approved solar, wind and geothermal utility-scale projects on public lands, since 2009, including associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids. When built, these projects add up to more than 13,300 megawatts – enough energy to power 4.6 million homes and support more than 19,000 construction and operations jobs.

Better Vehicles

Thanks to Administration investments and fuel economy standards, we have a more fuel-efficient vehicle fleet that will continue to improve. As a result, families are saving money at the pump and we’re using less and less gasoline. Taken together, the standards the Administration has proposed to date span model years 2011 to 2025, and they represent the toughest fuel economy standards in history. Under these new standards, average fuel efficiency for cars and trucks will nearly double, reaching an average performance equivalent of nearly 55 miles per gallon by 2025.

In fact, we are already seeing more efficient cars and trucks roll off the assembly line thanks in part to these standards. Five years ago, Chrysler didn’t have any vehicles delivering 30 mpg; now they make a half dozen. Last year, Ford offered a record-setting 8 models that are expected to deliver 40 mpg or higher. And in 2012, General Motors sold more than 1 million vehicles that get 30 mpg or better.

These trends in fuel efficiency will continue and, when the Administration’s fuel economy standards are fully implemented, the average driver will save more than $8,000 at the pump. When the standards take full effect in 2025, they will reduce oil imports by 2.2 million barrels per day and cut carbon pollution by 6 billion metric tons, which is roughly equivalent to all emissions from the United States last year.

In addition to improved fuel economy, the advanced vehicles are gaining traction. For example, during the first eleven months of 2013, Americans bought more than 87,000 plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), nearly twice as many as sold during the same period in 2012, and the number of PEV’s on the road surpassed 100,000 for the first time. In fact, the market for plug-in electric vehicles has grown much faster than the early market for hybrids. And prices are falling and export markets are opening up. Since 2008, the cost of electric vehicle batteries – which really drive the economics of EVs – has dropped by 50 percent.

Conclusion

The United States has made great strides in clean energy over the last five years. And at the same time, we are producing more oil and more natural gas, even as we reduce carbon pollution. More clean energy. Greater energy security. Less carbon pollution. Those are the facts. 

These companies recognize that we can make our planet safer and cleaner while still growing the economy and creating good jobs. In the last 3 ½ years, as we have promoted energy efficiency, improved the fuel economy of our cars and trucks, and incentivized renewable energy, the U.S. private sector has created 7.8 million jobs. A climate-resilient, low-carbon, clean energy economy can be an engine of growth for decades to come.  As we continue to support growth and prosperity around the world, we must remain good global stewards and ensure that we’re leaving a cleaner and healthier planet for our children. We discussed with the CEOs how we are advancing that goal through an innovative public-private partnership included in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan – the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020.

Tropical deforestation and forest degradation account for about 17 percent of global greenhouse gas pollution that contributes to climate change every single year. Estimates suggest that nearly half of this pollution can be traced back to unsustainable production of four commodities: beef, soy, palm oil, and pulp and paper.  The United States is partnering with other governments, civil society groups, and private companies that are members of the Consumer Goods Forum (a network of over 400 companies representing $3 trillion in global sales) to form the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020.  The partnership has set an ambitious goal of ending tropical deforestation associated with these four key commodities.

Reaching this ambitious goal will only be possible by leveraging our investments and harnessing the innovation and expertise of civil society groups and the private sector.   As part of the partnership, USAID is working with the World Resources Institute to develop a tropical forest monitoring tool that tracks in real-time where commodity expansion is causing tropical forest destruction.  Every dollar USAID invested in this tool leveraged more than $10 from private sector partners such as Google and Staples.  

The United States is taking significant actions to lead international efforts to address climate change. In November, the United States joined the United Kingdom and Norway to announce the Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes, housed under the BioCarbon Fund, which will work with private-sector partners to invest in programs that advance sustainable land management and promote forest protection and climate-smart agriculture.

Ending deforestation associated with beef, soy, palm oil, and pulp and paper will only be possible with collective action from governments, the private sector, and civil society groups.  We commend the Consumer Goods Forum for their pledge to help achieve net zero deforestation by 2020. We’re proud to partner with these companies, who recognize that taking action to prevent tropical deforestation is not only a critical part of protecting our climate and our ecosystems, but is simply good for business.

To learn more, visit www.tfa2020.com and http://www.state.gov/e/oes/climate/index.htm.