Obama declares steps to boost biofuels, clean coal

US President Barack Obama on Thursdsay announced a series of steps as part of his comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its promise of new industries and millions of jobs.

At a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from around the country, Obama laid out three measures that will work in concert to boost biofuels production and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a rule to implement the long-term renewable fuels standard of 36 billion gallons by 2022 established by Congress, said the White House.

Also the US Department of Agriculture has proposed a rule on the Biomass Crop Assistance Program that would provide financing to increase the conversion of biomass to bioenergy.

The President's Biofuels Interagency Working Group released its first report - Growing America's Fuel, which lays out a strategy to advance the development and commercialisation of a sustainable biofuels industry to meet or exceed the nation's biofuels targets.

In addition, Obama announced a Presidential Memorandum creating an Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage to develop a comprehensive and coordinated federal strategy to speed the development and deployment of clean coal technologies.

"Now, I happen to believe that we should pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill. It will make clean energy the profitable kind of energy and the decision by other nations to do this is already giving their businesses a leg up on developing clean energy jobs and technologies," Obama said.

"But even if you disagree on the threat posed by climate change, investing in clean energy jobs and businesses is still the right thing to do for our economy. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is still the right thing to do for our security. We can't afford to spin our wheels while the rest of the world speeds ahead," he said.

"I am convinced that whoever builds a clean energy economy, whoever is at the forefront of that, is going to own the 21st century global economy," Obama said.

Referring to a recent New York Times report that countries like China are moving faster, he said they are very aggressive about wanting to make sure that these clean energy jobs are in their countries.

"As I said at the State of the Union, I'm not going to settle for a situation where the United States comes in second place or third place or fourth place in what will be the most important economic engine in the future," Obama said, adding he believes in a strategy of more production, more efficiency, and more incentives for clean energy.

Obama announced a Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force that will be charged with the goal of figuring out how US can deploy affordable clean coal technology on a widespread scale within 10 years.

"We want to get up 10 commercial demonstration projects, get those up and running by 2016," he said.

"Advancing biomass and biofuel production holds the potential to create green jobs, which is one of the many ways the Obama Administration is working to rebuild and revitalize rural America," said agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack.

"President Obama and this Administration are strongly committed to the development of carbon capture and storage technology as a key part of the clean energy economy. We can and should lead the world in this technology and the jobs it can create," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

"The actions President Obama has taken today will create jobs, slash greenhouse gas emissions and increase our energy security while helping to put America at the leading edge of the new energy economy," said EPA Administrator Lisa P Jackson.

"The renewable fuel standards will help bring new economic opportunity to millions of Americans, particularly in rural America. EPA is proud to be a part of the President's effort to combat climate change and put Americans back to work - both through the new renewable fuel standards and through our co-chairmanship with the Department of Energy of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage," he said.