Greentech Lead America: The Obama Administration will
continue to build on the progress in energy sector they have made over the past
three years. Through a sustained, all-of-the-above approach to American energy
the government will work to restore middle class security, reduce dependence on
foreign oil, and create an economy that’s built to last.
The Obama Administration’s achievements in green energy
sector in one year
Increasing American Energy Independence: A year ago, the
President set a bold but achievable goal of reducing oil imports by a third in
a little over a decade, relative to where they were when he ran for office.
Thanks to booming U.S. oil and gas production, more efficient cars and trucks,
and a world-class refining sector that last year was a net exporter for the first
time in sixty years, we have already cut net imports by ten percent – or a
million barrels a day – in the last year alone. And with the new fuel economy
standards the President announced last year, we are on pace to meet our goal by
the end of the decade.
Expanding Domestic Oil and Gas Production: Domestic oil
and natural gas production has increased every year President Obama has been in
office. In 2011, American oil production reached the highest level in nearly a
decade and natural gas production reached an all-time high.
Setting Historic New Fuel Economy Standards: The Obama
Administration has put in place the first-ever fuel economy standards for
heavy-duty trucks, and proposed the toughest fuel economy standards for
passenger vehicles in U.S. history, requiring an average performance equivalent
of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Over time, these new standards will save
consumers more than $8,000 in lower fuel costs.
Improving Energy Efficiency in 1 Million Homes: Since
October 2009, the Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban
Development have completed energy upgrades in more than one million homes
across the country. For many families, these upgrades save over $400 on their
heating and cooling bills in the first year alone.
Doubling Renewable Energy Generation: Thanks in part to
the Obama Administration’s investment in clean energy – the largest in American
history – the United States has nearly doubled renewable energy generation from
wind, solar, and geothermal sources since 2008.
Developing Advanced, Alternative Fuels: In 2010,
President Obama set a goal of breaking ground on at least four commercial scale
cellulosic or advanced biorefineries by 2013. That goal has been accomplished,
one year ahead of schedule. Together, these projects, and associated
demonstration and pilot projects will produce a combined total of nearly 100
million gallons per year of advanced biofuels capacity.
Supporting Cutting-Edge Research: The Department of
Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), which the Obama
Administration funded for the first-time ever in 2009, has supported more than
120 individual projects aimed at achieving new and transformational energy
breakthroughs.