President Obama Announces Major Initiatives Expanding Access to Clean Local Power

Media Contacts

Environment America

This afternoon President Obama announced a number of bold initiatives designed to boost clean onsite and distributed energy; such as solar, small wind and energy efficiency.  At an Energy Summit in Las Vegas, hosted by Senator Harry Reid, the President unveiled a host of policy improvements that will help homes, businesses and government agencies finance pollution-free power options and energy-saving measures that will reduce pollution and lower bills.

Rob Sargent, Environment America’s Energy Program Director issued the follow statement in response to the announcement:

“The programs President Obama announced today will go a long way to us move us closer to meeting all of our energy needs with pollution-free renewable energy.    By proposing to eliminate obstacles to energy efficiency and clean, clean local energy, the Obama Administration shows it recognizes the critical need to unleash investments in virtually unlimited energy sources with no fuel costs.” 

Among the measures announced today are:

  • A proposal to make Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing tosingle-family homes so that state and local governments can help residents get access to low-cost capital for clean energy and energy efficiency improvements.

 

  • A $1 billion expansion in loan guarantees for clean, local (distributed) energy;

 

  • A Department of Defense  Privatized Housing Solar Challenge, including private sector commitments   to provide solar power to housing on more than 40 military bases across the United States;

 

  • Launching a new HUD and DOE program to assist home owners to measure their energy consumption and get more favorable terms on loans to reflect their lower energy costs.  

 

  • Approving a transmission line that will help enable 485-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant in California that will produce enough renewable energy to power more than 145,000 homes; and

 

  • The creation of an Interagency Task Force to Promote a Clean Energy

 

  • Future for All Americans coupled with commitments from local governments, utilities, and businesses to help advance energy efficiency in more than 300,000 low-income households.

 

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Environment America is the national federation of statewide, citizen-based advocacy organizations working for a cleaner, greener, healthier future.