The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 21, 2010

President Obama Directs Administration to Create First-Ever National Efficiency and Emissions Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks

Calls for increased support for electric vehicles, extension of national policy for cars and light- trucks

WASHINGTON, DC - President Obama today continued to build towards a new clean energy foundation, announcing a vision for cleaner, more efficient trucks, and next-generation cars, including advanced electric vehicles. 

Signing a Presidential Memorandum in the Rose Garden at the White House today, the President directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to create a first-ever National Policy to increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas pollution from medium- and heavy-duty trucks for Model Years 2014-2018.  Currently trucks consume more than two million barrels of oil every day, and average 6.1 miles per gallon. They also emit 20% of greenhouse gas pollution related to transportation. Preliminary estimates indicate great potential for significant fuel efficiency gains and greenhouse gas emissions reductions for large tractor trailers, which represent half of all GHG emissions from this sector.

The President also called for an extension of the National Program for cars and light-duty trucks to Model Year 2017 and beyond.

Additionally, President Obama directed the Department of Energy to provide increased support for deployment of advanced vehicles, including electric vehicles, and directed EPA to reduce non-greenhouse-gas pollutants from motor vehicles.

The announcement lays the groundwork for a more secure energy future by reducing our dependence on oil, enhancing American competitiveness and job creation with a new generation of advanced electric vehicles, and protects the environment by reducing dangerous greenhouse gas and other pollutants.

President Obama said, “This will bring down costs for transporting goods, serving businesses and consumers alike.  It will reduce pollution.  And, just like the rule concerning cars, this standard will spur growth in the clean energy sector.  We know how important that is.  We know that our dependence on foreign oil endangers our security and our economy.  We know that climate change poses a threat to our way of life – in fact we are already beginning to see its profound and costly impact.  And we know that our economic future depends on our leadership in the industries of the future.”

Following the President’s directive today, and with the support of a wide and diverse array of stakeholders, including auto manufacturers, workers, the State of California, the environmental community, and other states, EPA and DOT will develop forthcoming rulemaking proposals to achieve these goals, and continue building a stronger foundation for a clean energy economy and the next generation of advanced vehicles. 

"We want America to be home to the auto industry of the future, and this sends a clear message to our innovators, entrepreneurs and auto manufacturers that this country is committed to leading the way through 2016 and beyond," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.  "The fuel efficient cars and trucks of the future can cut costs for American drivers and shipping companies, while cleaning up the air we breathe.  We're starting on this today so that we can be the world leaders in clean technology tomorrow."

“We need to seize the momentum following last month’s historic new fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards and President Obama’s announcement today does just that,” said DOT Secretary Ray LaHood.  “By expanding this effort to include medium and heavy-duty trucks and encouraging the development of innovative technologies such as electric cars, we are laying the foundation for a cleaner, greener transportation sector that provides greater environmental benefits, reduces our dependence on oil and encourages American creativity.”

Today’s announcement builds upon the success of the historic new national policy President Obama set in motion one year ago, this week, increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for new cars and light-duty trucks manufactured in Model Years 2012-2016 and sold in the United States.  The policy represented an unprecedented collaboration between DOT, EPA, the world’s largest auto manufacturers, the United Auto Workers, leaders in the environmental community, the State of California, and other state governments.  Last month, EPA and DOT issued coordinated final rules fulfilling the President’s directive, and these regulations established, for the first time, a harmonized National Program that will save our nation 1.8 billion barrels of oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly one billion metric tons -- equivalent to taking 50 million cars off the road -- over the lifetime of vehicles sold in Model Years 2012-2016.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2010

Presidential Proclamation--National Maritime Day

Even before our Nation declared independence, our forebears recognized the importance of merchant ships and seafarers to our economic and national security.  Since 1775, America's maritime fleet has risen to the challenges before them and worked to meet our country's needs in times of peace and war alike.  On National Maritime Day, we recognize the men and women of the United States Merchant Marine for their contributions to America's leadership in the global marketplace, and to our security.

Civilian mariners and their ships have played an important role in equipping our military forces at sea in national conflicts.  During World War II, they executed the largest sealift the world had ever known, and thousands gave their lives to help convoys with desperately needed supplies reach our troops.  Their service to our Nation continues today.  Merchant mariners support military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as humanitarian missions, including the delivery of supplies to Haiti following this year's devastating earthquake.

The United States Merchant Marine also shepherds the safe passage of American goods.  They carry our exports to customers around the world and support the flow of domestic commerce on our maritime highways.  They help strengthen our Nation's economy; bolster job creating businesses; and, along with the transportation industry, employ Americans on ships and tugs, and in ports and shipyards.  Today, we pay tribute to the United States Merchant Marine, and we honor all those whose tireless work is laying a foundation for growth, prosperity, and leadership in the 21st century.

The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, has designated May 22 of each year as "National Maritime Day," and has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 2010, as National Maritime Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to mark this observance with appropriate activities, and I encourage all ships sailing under the American flag to dress ship on that day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2010

Presidential Proclamation-- National Hurricane Preparedness Week

Each year during hurricane season, Americans living in our coastal and inland communities face the danger of these powerful storms.  From high winds and storm surges to tornadoes and flooding, the hazards of hurricanes can destroy communities and devastate lives, and we must aggressively prepare our shores and protect our families.

During National Hurricane Preparedness Week, I urge individuals, families, communities, and businesses to take time to plan for the storm season before it begins.  While hurricane forecasting has improved, storms may still develop with little warning.  For Americans in hurricane threatened areas, knowledge and preparation are pivotal to ensure emergency readiness and responsiveness.  The National Hurricane Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, recommend taking several important steps to ensure safety.  These precautions include:  developing a family disaster plan; maintaining an emergency supply kit; securing homes, businesses, and belongings; and learning evacuation routes.

I urge those in hurricane-threatened areas to visit www.Hurricanes.gov/Prepare to learn more about what they can do to protect themselves and their property from hurricanes.  Emergency preparation resources for hurricanes and other natural disasters are also available at:  www.Ready.gov.

To help Americans meet the challenges of severe weather, my Administration is focusing on preparedness and response    before, during, and after hurricanes.  We are improving accountability and coordination between all levels of government, modernizing our emergency communications, and empowering more families to prepare themselves.  Thanks to advancements in hurricane forecasting and tracking, the National Hurricane Center is working to give citizens more notice before impending storms.  With the right planning and preparation, we can safeguard lives, protect property, and enhance America's resilience to national weather emergencies.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States,do hereby proclaim May 23 through May 29, 2010, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week.  I call upon all Americans, especially those in hurricane prone areas, to learn more about protecting themselves against hurricanes and to work together to respond to them.

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

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The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 13, 2010

PHOTO RELEASE: Vice President Biden Calls Navistar Electric Truck Team to Congratulate Them on Shipping First Recovery Act Electric Vehicle

Washington, DC – Vice President Joe Biden today called Shane Terblanche, General Manager of the Navistar Modec Electric Vehicle Alliance at Navistar International Corporation, and the rest of the Indiana-based Navistar electric truck team to congratulate them on shipping the first electric vehicle produced as a result of the $2.4 billion in Recovery Act advanced battery and electric drive grant awards made last year.  President Obama announced the more than forty awards, including $39.2 million in funding to help Navistar develop and deploy advanced battery electric delivery trucks, at the company’s Wakarusa, Indiana facility last August.  The electric truck Navistar unveiled today is the first of 400 it eventually plans to build thanks to the Recovery Act and is powered by an advanced battery manufactured in Michigan by another Recovery Act recipient, A123 Systems. 

A photo of the Vice President’s call is available HERE.

For more information on this milestone, click HERE.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2010

Statement by President Obama on the American Power Act

I applaud Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman for their tireless work in drafting this important legislation.  This legislation will put America on the path to a clean energy economy that will create American jobs building the solar panels, wind blades and the car batteries of the future.  It will  strengthen our national security by beginning to break our dependence on foreign oil. And it will protect our environment for our children and grandchildren.

Americans know what's at stake by continuing our dependence on fossil fuels. But the challenges we face -- underscored by the immense tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico -- are reason to redouble our efforts to reform our nation's energy policies.  For too long, Washington has kicked this challenge to the next generation.  This time, the status quo is no longer acceptable to Americans.  Now is the time for America to take control of our energy future and jumpstart American innovation in clean energy technology that will allow us to create jobs, compete, and win in the global economy.

The House of Representatives has already taken historic action with passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. I look forward to engaging with Senators from both sides of the aisle and ultimately passing a bill this year. 

 

** The title of this release has been corrected.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2010

Declaraciones del Presidente Obama sobre la Ley de Seguridad y Energía Limpia en Estados Unidos

Felicito a los senadores John Kerry y Joe Lieberman por su incansable labor en la redacción de esta importante medida legislativa. Esta propuesta llevará a Estados Unidos por el camino de la economía basada en la energía limpia, que generará empleos estadounidenses en la fabricación de los paneles solares, las aspas de molinos de viento y las baterías de autos del futuro. Reforzará nuestra seguridad nacional al comenzar a disminuir nuestra dependencia del petróleo extranjero. Y protegerá al medio ambiente para bien de nuestros hijos y nietos.

Los estadounidenses saben lo que está en juego si seguimos dependiendo de hidrocarburos. Pero los desafíos que enfrentamos –resaltados por la gran tragedia en el golfo de México– son motivo para redoblar nuestros esfuerzos por reformar la política energética del país. Durante demasiado tiempo, Washington le ha pasado este desafío a la siguiente generación. Esta vez, el estatus quo ya no es aceptable para los estadounidenses. Es hora de que en Estados Unidos tomemos control de nuestro futuro energético y demos rienda suelta a la innovación estadounidense en la tecnología de energía limpia, que nos permitirá generar empleos, competir y tener éxito en la economía mundial.

La Cámara de Representantes ya ha tomado una histórica medida con la aprobación de la Ley de Seguridad y Energía Limpia en Estados Unidos (American Clean Energy and Security Act). Estoy deseoso de contar con la participación de senadores de ambos partidos y de que finalmente se apruebe esta medida este año.
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 04, 2010

Statement by the President on Severe Weather and Flooding in the Southeast

“Our thoughts and prayers are with every American who has been impacted by the severe weather and flooding in the southeast, and our deepest condolences go out to those who have lost loved ones.  I would also like to extend my gratitude to the local first responders who have been working tirelessly to save lives and protect property in the face of these devastating storms.  I have spoken with the Governors in the most severely impacted states, and yesterday I dispatched FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to Tennessee to view the flood damage first hand and to report back on any unmet needs.  Federal officials have been dispatched to the region and we will continue working in close coordination with state and local officials to support response and recovery efforts.”

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 29, 2010

Vice President Biden Announces Recovery Act Funding for 37 Transformational Energy Research Projects

New ARPA-E projects in 17 states will accelerate innovation in clean energy technologies, increase America’s competitiveness and create jobs

Washington, DC – At a Recovery Act Cabinet Meeting today, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu will announce that the U.S. Department of Energy is awarding $106 million in funding for 37 ambitious research projects that could fundamentally change the way the country uses and produces energy.  Funded through DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the $106 million is awarded to projects that could produce advanced biofuels more efficiently from renewable electricity instead of sunlight; design completely new types of batteries to make electric vehicles more affordable; and remove the carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants in a more cost-effective way.

“Thanks to the Recovery Act, dozens of cutting-edge research projects with the potential to dramatically transform how we use energy in this country will now be able to get underway,” said Vice President Biden.  “By investing in our top researchers, we’re not only continuing in the spirit of American innovation, but helping build a competitive American clean energy industry that will create secure jobs here at home for years to come.” 
 
“These projects show that the U.S. can lead the next Industrial Revolution in clean energy technologies, which will help create new jobs, spur innovation and economic growth while helping to cut carbon pollution dramatically,” said Secretary Chu.

The grants will go to projects in 17 states. Of the lead recipients, 24 percent are small businesses, 57 percent are educational institutions, 11 percent are national labs, and 8 percent are large corporations.  In supporting these teams, ARPA-E seeks to bring America's brightest scientists and innovators together from diverse fields to pioneer a secure and prosperous energy future for the nation.  The awards are part of an overall $100 billion investment the Recovery Act is making in creating jobs and driving economic growth through innovation, science and technology.

This second round of ARPA-E-funded research projects focuses on three critical areas:

1.“Electrofuels” - Biofuels from Electricity --- Today’s technologies for making biofuels all rely on photosynthesis – either indirectly by converting plants to fuels or directly by harnessing photosynthetic organisms such as algae.  This process is less than 1% efficient at converting sunlight to stored chemical energy. Instead, Electrofuels approaches will use organisms able to extract energy from other sources, such as solar-derived electricity or hydrogen or earth-abundant metal ions.  Theoretically, such an approach could be more than 10 times more efficient than current biomass approaches.

Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA) - Engineering a Bacterial Reverse Fuel Cell
This project would develop a bacterium to use electricity (which could come from renewable sources like solar or wind) to convert carbon dioxide into gasoline.  The bacterium would act like a reverse fuel cell: where fuel cells use a fuel to produce electricity, this bacterium would start with electricity and produce a fuel. Research projects like this one demonstrate the great potential of bringing experts from other fields like biology and medicine to address our energy challenges. This project was selected for a $4 million grant from ARPA-E.

2. Better Batteries - Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation (“BEEST”) --- The critical barrier to wider deployment of electric vehicles is the high cost and low efficiency of today’s batteries.  This ARPA-E program seeks to develop a new generation of ultra-high energy density, low-cost battery technologies for long range plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles.  If successful, the technologies developed in this program will greatly improve U.S. energy security, spur economic growth, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

MIT (Cambridge, MA) - Semi-Solid Rechargeable Flow Battery
This concept represents a new type of battery that doesn’t exist today: a semi-solid flow battery that combines the best characteristics of rechargeable batteries and fuel cells.  It could enable batteries for electric vehicles that are much lighter and smaller - and cheaper - than today's batteries.  The cost difference is dramatic: this flow battery potentially could cost less than one-eighth of today's batteries, which could lead to widespread adoption of affordable electric vehicles.  This project was selected for a $5 million grant from ARPA-E.

3. Zero-Carbon Coal:  Innovative Materials & Processes for Advanced Carbon Capture Technologies (“IMPACCT”) --- Coal-fired power plants currently generate approximately 50% of the electricity in the United States. But they also produce significant carbon pollution, which could have serious consequences for climate change. This ARPA-E program aims to support revolutionary technologies to capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants using a range of approaches, including solvents, sorbents, catalysts, enzymes, membranes, and gas-liquid-solid phase changes.

GE Global Research Center (Niskayuna, NY) - CO2 Capture Process Using Phase-Changing Absorbents
A GE researcher came across an exciting discovery as part of an earlier Department of Energy-funded project: a certain liquid, when it reacts with carbon dioxide, turns into a solid powder. This could lead to a much less expensive way to capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants -- the carbon dioxide in the powder can be much more easily separated from the plant's flue gases than gaseous carbon dioxide can. This project was selected for a $3 million grant from ARPA-E.

This second, targeted ARPA-E solicitation was highly competitive. Over 540 initial concept papers were received in the three focus areas.  Of those, approximately 180 full applications were encouraged, and 37 final awardees were selected through a rigorous review process with input from multiple review panels composed of leading U.S. science and technology experts and ARPA-E’s program directors.  Evaluations were based on scientific and technical merit and the potential for high impact on our national energy and economic goals. 

View the project selections announced today.

The Recovery Act was signed into law on February 17, 2009 as the country faced the greatest economic crisis in a generation.  The Act was designed to create jobs and drive economic growth through a combination of tax relief for individuals and businesses, aid to hard-hit families and state and local governments and funding for science, technology and infrastructure projects across the country.  The Council of Economic Advisors estimates that the Recovery Act is responsible for approximately 2.5 million jobs so far.

President Obama Visits Biorefining Plant

April 28, 2010 | 11:36 | Public Domain

The President visits POET Biorefining in Macon, MO on his "White House to Main Street" tour and talks about how investments in clean energy can lead to a more prosperous and independent America.

Download mp4 (327MB) | mp3 (11MB)

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 27, 2010

Remarks of President Barack Obama at Siemens Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Plant in Fort Madison, Iowa

Siemens Energy, Inc., Fort Madison, Iowa

1:05 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Oh, it’s good to be -- good to be back in Iowa; good to be in Fort Madison.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.

I want to just acknowledge some of our special guests -- first of all, my Secretary of Agriculture -- you may still know him as Governor Vilsack.  I know him as Secretary Vilsack.  Give Tom Vilsack a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Your current governor who is doing an outstanding job -- Chet Culver.  (Applause.)  The mayor of Fort Madison, Steve Ireland.  Steve, it’s good to see you again.  (Applause.) 

     The President and CEO of Siemens, Peter Loescher, is here.  (Applause.)  And our plant manager, Robert Gjuraj, who just gave me a terrific tour -- so, thank you, Robert.  Where’s Robert?  There he is, right there.  (Applause.)     

I have just been on an incredibly impressive tour of this facility and saw how these giant blades are created.  And they look even cooler up close -- unbelievably impressive technologies.  And it was remarkable just to see how these things are made, but it’s even more remarkable when you consider that just a few short years ago, this facility was dark, it was quiet, nothing was going on.  And today, it’s alive and humming with more than 600 employees, almost two-thirds of whom found themselves unemployed before they were here.  (Applause.)  This plant -- Robert was telling me, I may get my facts wrong here, but even two years ago you had only 200 employees.  Now we've got 600 employees two years later.  And this plant supports more than 350 other jobs throughout Lee County.  (Applause.) 

So you're manufacturing blades for some of the most advanced wind turbines in the world; each one as tall as Air Force One is long; each is capable of generating enough power for hundreds of homes, just by harnessing the wind.  So what’s going on here, what each of the employees of Siemens are involved with, is helping stake America’s claim on a clean-energy future.  And you’re staking Fort Madison’s claim on America’s future.

And that’s why I come to Iowa here today.  Some of the -- one of the reporters said, “Why Iowa?”  I said, well, I love Iowa, first of all.  (Applause.)  Wouldn’t have been President if it wasn’t for Iowa.  (Applause.)  It’s close to Illinois.  (Laughter.)  But also, I wanted to come here because to talk with folks like you about the economic hardship and the pain that this town has gone through and so many people are still feeling is important, but it’s also to talk about the economic potential.

Lately, we’ve been able to report some welcome news after a hard two years.  Our economy is finally growing again.  Our markets are climbing.  Our businesses are beginning to create jobs again.

Now, in too many places, though, the recovery isn’t reaching everybody just yet.  Times are still tough in towns like Fort Madison.  And times are still tough for middle-class Americans, who have been swimming against the current for years before this economic tidal wave hit.  So even as we took steps to rescue our economy and recover from this crisis, we also wanted to take steps to rebuild our economy on a new foundation, a firmer foundation for long-term growth and prosperity -– to create conditions so that folks who work hard can finally get ahead.

And that means making our schools more competitive.  It means making our colleges more affordable.  Yes, it means making health insurance affordable and giving families and businesses more choice and more competition, and more protection from the worst abuses of the insurance industry.  And it means common-sense reforms that prevent irresponsibility of a few on Wall Street from threatening the dreams of millions on Main Street. 

But the reason we’re here is because it also means igniting a new, clean-energy economy that generates good jobs right here in the United States.

Now, we’ve talked about this for decades.  We talked about how our dependence on fossil fuels threatened our economy.  But after all the talk, a lot of times our will to act rose and fell depending on what the price of a gallon of gas was at the pump.  During the summer when prices went up, everybody was all for clean energy.  And when prices went back down, suddenly everybody forgot about it.

So we’ve talked about this problem for a long time -- how it threatened future generations.  We talked about issues of how the climate is changing.  We talked about how it threatened our national security because we’re dependent on other countries for what makes our country run -- dependence that grew deeper with every passing year.

And meanwhile, while we talked, other nations acted.  From Spain to China, other nations recognized that the country that leads the clean-energy economy will be the country that leads the 21st century global economy.  They were making serious investments to win that race and the jobs that come with it. 

     And some of you may have heard me say this before:  I don’t accept second place for the United States of America.  (Applause.)  And that’s why our energy security has been a top priority for my administration since the day I took office.

We began early last year by making the largest investment in clean energy in our nation’s history.  It’s an investment expected to create or save more than 700,000 jobs across America by the end of 2012 –- jobs manufacturing next-generation batteries for next-generation vehicles; jobs upgrading to a smarter, stronger power grid; jobs doubling America’s capacity to generate renewable electricity from sources like the sun and the wind, just like you do here.

And that investment was all part of the Recovery Act.  This facility took advantage of that act’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit, and we were just talking -- Robert and I were talking about the fact that part of what’s allowed us to have these new platforms and these new molds is this tax credit. It allowed you to add equipment and boost output and hire new workers right here in Fort Madison. 

So in the midst of the economic turmoil, the Recovery Act helped make it possible for America to install nearly 10 gigawatts of new wind-generating capacity last year alone -– and that's enough to power more than 2.4 million American homes.  So when people ask you what was the Recovery Act about, what was the stimulus about, it was about this -- this plant. 

And each new wind farm has the potential to create hundreds of construction jobs, and dozens of permanent local jobs in communities just like Fort Madison.  Robert -- we were talking about the fact that -- who’s catering the food here at the factory?  That's suddenly a whole bunch of business for the local grocers.  The folks who are installing the electricity here -- additional work.  So there’s a ripple effect that occurs. 

And one study suggests that if we pursue our full potential for wind energy, and everything else goes right, wind could generate as much as 20 percent of America’s electricity 20 years from now.  (Applause.)  That's right, 20 percent.  (Applause.)  And Secretary Vilsack was telling me that Iowa is at the cutting edge.  Iowa has already hit that mark, hasn’t it -- because of Governor Culver and his predecessor, Tom Vilsack, it may be a reality right here in Iowa.  (Applause.)  This state already generates a higher percentage of its electricity from wind than any other state.  And that number is only growing.  That number is only growing.

And as extraordinary as this facility is, here’s the thing  -- wind power isn’t a silver bullet, it’s not going to solve all our energy challenges.  There’s no single energy source.  The key is to understand that this is a key component, a key part of a comprehensive strategy to move us from an economy that just runs on fossil fuels to one that relies on more homegrown fuels and clean energy.  I believe that we can come together around this issue and pass comprehensive energy and climate legislation that will ignite new industries, spark new jobs in towns just like Fort Madison, make America more energy-independent.  Our security, our economy, the future of our planet all depend on it.

This is what’s possible in a clean-energy economy.  And while it may not feel like it every day when you punch in, to all the folks who work here at Siemens, I want you to understand, you’re making it possible.  You are blazing a trail.  You're showing America our future.  And some day, our children, and our children’s children, will look back at this factory, this moment, and they will be proud at a generation that chose, in a time of crisis, to place its bet on the future, and to reopen factories, and restart assembly lines, and retrain workers; a generation that chose once again to step forward and meet the challenges of our time. 

That's what this represents.  That's what you represent.  And we could not be prouder. 

So thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
1:17 P.M. CDT