A Look at Obama's Energy Blueprint

Public hungry for action, aides conclude

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama will call for a clean energy bill in his Oval Office address on the oil spill tomorrow, as part of a renewed push for the once all-but-abandoned legislation. The White House believes that the spill has whetted the public’s appetite for energy reform, top aides tell Politico . One Democratic pollster predicts the bill will “give Democrats a potent weapon to wield against Republicans in the fall.” More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama announced a drastic change in the nation’s energy policy today, beginning with an executive order allowing states to raise their fuel efficiency standards. "America will not be held hostage to dwindling resources,” Obama said. “Today I announce the first steps on our journey to energy independence.” The first of those steps: telling the EPA to review requests from 15 states to tighten fuel efficiency standards. More»

Chu was an early advocate for climate change solutions

(NEWSER) - Nobel laureate Steven Chu is Barack Obama's nominee for energy secretary, the Wall Street Journal reports. The acclaimed physicist, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was an early advocate for finding scientific solutions to climate change, and his lab is doing groundbreaking work in developing carbon-neutral sources of energy, Reuters adds. Chu would work closely Obama's current energy adviser, Carol Browner, who will coordinate energy policy in the new post of "energy czar." More»

30K resumes? Clintons? Veteran juggles it all for Obama

(NEWSER) - The man in charge of Barack Obama’s transition doesn’t just know where the levers of power are—he practically lives in the engine room. John Podesta is managing his immense task—juggling 30,000 resumes for 8,000 jobs, not to mention some big egos—with surprising calm, despite his reputation for a snappish temper. “Let’s just say my in-box is filled,” he tells the Washington Post. More»

Executive order requires federal agencies to reduce waste, conserve energy

(NEWSER) - Federal agencies have until 2020 to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 28% under an executive order President Obama signed today. The order also calls for improvements in energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction. "As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient," Obama said before signing the order. More»