August 16th, 2010
12:27 PM ET

Obama: Clean energy campaign will lead to 800,000 jobs

President Barack Obama touted his administration's clean energy initiatives Monday, saying tax credits and loans would help bring 800,000 jobs by 2012.

After touring the ZBB Energy Corporation plant in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, Obama told workers that their jobs manufacturing renewable batteries and power systems were part of a necessary transition of the U.S. economy.

"We can't turn back. We've got to keep going forward," Obama said to applause, later adding: "You're pointing us in the right direction. And I am confident about our future because of what I have seen at this plant."

The company is using a $1.3 million Recovery Act State Energy Program loan to help fund a $4.5 million factory renovation. Obama said the renovation is expected to result in the hiring of 80 new workers and triple the capacity manufacture renewable power and storage systems.

In what sounded at times like a pep talk and at times like a campaign speech, Obama said American workers were resilient enough to emerge stronger than ever from a decade-long manufacturing decline and an economic recession.

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Filed under: Barack Obama • Energy • Jobs
soundoff (11 Responses)
  1. HernandezUSA

    For American Citizens or illegal Aliens?

    August 16, 2010 at 12:36 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Roger

    Solar Panels and not having to import oil from foreign countries is the first step America needs to take to become energy independent and slow the trade deficit.

    August 16, 2010 at 1:19 pm | Report abuse |
    • abbydelabbey

      you're right - wind technology as well -

      August 16, 2010 at 3:19 pm | Report abuse |
  3. boomer

    Yeah, right. I'm not going to hold my breath.

    August 16, 2010 at 2:08 pm | Report abuse |
  4. abbydelabbey

    we (the country) should have been working on green technology and weaning ourselves off of oil from the 1970s - when we were hit with an oil embargo - then we wouldn't be sucking up to the oil rich nations –as for jobs - why can't we do something like the CCC or WPA or something equivalent to the Manhattan Project to get us off of fossil fuels?

    August 16, 2010 at 3:18 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Ancient Texan

    As long as we're pulling "pie in the sky" numbers out of the air, why not put 14,000,000 to work and have zero unemployment?

    August 16, 2010 at 4:31 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Neil

    Jimmy Carter did propose many of these initiatives back in the late 70's.Nobody wanted to hear it but he was absolutely correct.If we had listened to him then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess today.Reagan and his allies did a real hatchet job on him.Tell the people what they want to hear and spread as many lies as possible about your opponent.The very same tactics they still use to this day,I still have a hard time believing Americans are so blind to the truth.

    August 16, 2010 at 4:59 pm | Report abuse |
    • Terri Hartsfield

      Iagree...I am dumbfounded that people are blind to the truth. Even when shown concrete proof of anything positive that President Obama has accomplished people still believe that Obama and Democrats are the cause of the economic downfall. I am a liberal from the south and believe me when I say I talk to a lot of Republicans during the day. They are convinced that Mr. Obama is the boogeyman!

      August 19, 2010 at 9:50 am | Report abuse |
  7. Ken Krieger

    In 2 years this Idiot is going to create 800,000 jobs. It is just another lie. He lost millions of jobs when he said for 5 months, "This the worst economy have ever seen and it is not my fault ". He said this over and over. People believed him. He is the President. Employers did not hire and they laid people off and started hoarding money. People did not spend. They were afraid that what Obama said was true. He has lost more jobs than he created. Will anybody believe anything he says from now on? He is a liar. Well are you happy liberal media? It is your fault.How are your ratings. If the public believes you helped cause this, they will never trust again. Ken Krieger 239-283 7385 Cape Coral, Florida

    August 16, 2010 at 7:23 pm | Report abuse |
  8. ireuel

    Every job that is created by the money given to a company by the goverment will go away when the goverment money is removed. I agree we need to stop importing oil from countries that are not friendly with us. But the reality is that all this solar, wind and other new forms of energy are just to expensive to produce and will not be used if the goverment stops spending money to supplement the real cost.(Money they don't have and must borrow) The Volt from GM will sell for around 40,000 dollars and that is only due to the goverment is providing funding to support this. Also the range per charge is not very much. The quickest and the first means of reducing oil is a mass transit system for all large cities. It must be efficient, fast and reliable. Most of all not run by any goverment fed, state or city. The goverment needs to get out of all public transportation, that is not their job. This will also clean up the air in these cities and reduce ozone action days or what ever they call them. I know we Americans love our cars but the amount of gas saved by not having rush hour traffic will be huge, then we can get out of the middle east and stop using all the fuel used by our military to protect that area. I have no idea how much fuel these two simple ideas would save but I'am guessing A LOT. Now that is a realistic figure not 800,000 jobs will be created. When has the goverment ever correctly calculated anything. I think never. Have a good day and stop believing either political party, they both fabricate the numbers to keep their jobs.

    August 17, 2010 at 3:19 pm | Report abuse |
  9. MARINE2543

    Obama " PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE " He said 800,000 jobs right, using his new math were 2+2=-6. What a gangster this man is....

    September 3, 2010 at 1:23 pm | Report abuse |
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