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Everything You Need to Know: President Obama's Blueprint for American-Made Energy

In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, and again today at a UPS facility in Las Vegas, President Obama said that the country needs an “all-out, all of the above strategy that develops every available source of American energy—a strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.”

We’ve taken steps to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and today, American oil production is at its highest level in eight years. In 2011, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years.

With less than 2 percent of the world’s oils reserves, however, the United States must find new ways to produce the energy we need. We’ve nearly doubled our use of renewable energy in the past few years, and are back on top as the world’s leading investor in clean energy. But more can and must be done to further develop our own energy resources and transition to cleaner sources of energy.

President Obama has laid out a Blueprint for an energy strategy that does just that. His plan, which relies on American-made energy and the skills of American workers, will improve our national security, grow our economy, and create jobs, while making sure our environment and the health of our citizens aren’t put at risk.

Safely developing American oil and gas resources

Domestic oil and natural gas production has increased every year President Obama has been in office. In 2011, U.S. crude oil production reached its highest level since 2003, and U.S. natural gas production eclipsed the previous recordset in 1973. Total oil and gas production on public lands during the first three years of the Obama Administration increased by 13 percent compared with the last three years of the previous administration, and today, the United States has more oil and gas rigs operating than the rest of the world—combined

President Obama’s all-of-the-above strategy focuses on continuing to develop these resources:

Developing our natural gas supply: The United States is the world’s leading producer of natural gas, and we have a nearly 100-year supply of it. President Obama has directed his administration to safely develop this gas, called shale gas, in a way that will create up to 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade, according to independent experts. He also called for new rules requiring companies to disclose the chemicals they use when accessing and removing shale gas on public lands to make sure public health is protected.

Expanding offshore oil and gas development: At President Obama’s directive, the Department of Interior is working to finalize a national offshore energy plan that opens new areas for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, making 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources available for development. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, new projects in the Gulf of Mexico must now meet strict drilling and workplace safety standards, implemented to help avoid another massive oil spill.

Modernizing pipeline infrastructure: President Obama directed agencies to approve and expedite pipeline projects that will move oil and gas from domestic drilling sites to refineries quickly and efficiently while protecting the health and safety of nearby communities and environments.

Committing to clean energy

In the near term, the U.S. will continue to rely on responsibly produced oil and gas. Over the long term, however, the Obama Administration is committed to a policy that builds on progress to transition from oil toward cleaner alternatives and energy efficiency. 

The Obama Administration has already made the largest investment in clean energy in history. Nearly 40 clean energy projects supported by the Department of Energy are expected to employ more than 60,000 Americans, generate enough clean electricity to power nearly 3 million homes and replace nearly 300 million gallons of gasoline annually. These projects include the world’s largest wind farm, the first new U.S. nuclear plant in three decades, and several of the largest solar power generation facilities. But we must do more to accelerate this progress.

Implementing a clean energy standard: The centerpiece of President Obama’s plan to develop and use more clean energy calls for establishing a “clean energy standard," which would require utility companies to produce a larger percentage of their electricity from clean energy sources over time --including renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass, hydropower, and nuclear, among others. With this requirement in place, clean sources would account for 80 percent of our electricity by 2035. Besides reducing carbon emissions, implementing a standard would create a larger domestic market for developing new, innovative energy technologies—and the many jobs that would come along with it.

Establishing targeted tax incentives: To further support a growing clean energy industry, President Obama’s energy strategy calls for renewing and extending a number of already successful tax incentives. This includes tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing, which could create up to 100,000 jobs, and the Production Tax Credit to support investment in the deployment of clean energy technologies. President Obama is also calling for an end to the $4 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies that Congress gives each year to oil companies, which are currently bringing in record profits.

President Obama Delivers the 2012 State of the Union

Tonight, as President Obama wrapped up his State of the Union, he said, "As long as we are joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will always be strong."

Throughout the speech, he discussed ideas for building an America that lasts. He called it a blueprint for the future and talked about ways to make his vision reality. Learn more about those ideas.

Miss something the President said? To read the full remarks, go here. Or watch the video.

Want to get more out of the enhanced version of the State of the Union? Check out the slides after the jump.