Obama promises to move away from fossil fuels

OREANDA-NEWS. January 14, 2016. US president Barack Obama in his final State of the Union address before Congress lauded the growth of renewable energy resources during his presidency and promised to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

Obama's self-termed "non-traditional" address, focusing on a decade ahead, called for a change to the US management of oil and coal resources. And Obama defended the landmark agreements he has reached with Iran and Cuba, citing them as examples of "patient and disciplined strategy that uses every element of our national power."

An incident in the Mideast Gulf hours before Obama's speech that resulted in Iran's capture of US navy personnel marred the occasion. The Pentagon said Iran provided assurances that the US service members aboard two small naval crafts were safe and would be returned shortly. But US critics of the nuclear deal with Iran seized on the capture to blast the administration for its handling of Iran.

Obama dismissed the critics of his foreign policy and "the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker."

The US is "the most powerful nation on Earth," he said. "People of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead — they call us."

Obama said investments in renewable technologies early in his administration resulted in driving down the costs of wind and solar energy. "Solar is saving Americans tens of millions of dollars a year on their energy bills, and employs more Americans than coal ."

Solar panels installed by homeowners give them "the freedom to generate and store their own energy — something environmentalists and tea partiers have teamed up to support," he said.

The US has cut its imports of crude oil by 60pc and cut carbon emissions more than any other country, Obama said. He also pointed to the decreases in gasoline prices US consumers pay.

US crude oil output has almost doubled since 2008 while dry natural gas production increased by more than a third, according to the US Energy Information Administration. But crude output in 2015 declined for the first time since 2008 as a result of decline in oil prices.

Obama promised to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, by changing the way US manages its oil and coal resources, "so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet."

Some critics of the existing US royalty system in public lands and offshore areas have complained that the US government takes less in coal royalties than many states do. But Obama did not immediately explain his proposal.

The Bureau of Land Management, which oversees public and offshore areas, by June plans to update decades-old royalty rules that apply to the oil and gas industry. The agency wants to update regulations requiring the oil and gas industry to use more modern technologies when measuring production levels.

Obama defended his administration's leadership in the fight against militant group Isis, saying "we are taking out their leadership, their oil, their training camps."

Obama's critics frequently disparage his handling of Isis, pointing out that the administration early on underestimated the group's strength and allowed it to seize large areas in Syria and Iraq.

But Isis does not threaten the US national existence, Obama said. And he called on Congress to pass a formal authorization to use military force against Isis. The US uses the decade-old congressional authorization against terrorist group al Qaeda in its operations against Isis.

The House of Representatives' Republican leadership is weighing an updated authorization against Isis. But Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said on 10 January he did not want the Senate to pass an authorization that Obama would request as it may limit the freedom of action for the next US president.

Obama spoke out against unlimited military involvement abroad, saying "that is a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us."

Obama defended the agreement US and the P5+1 group of global powers reached with Iran, saying it has rolled back Iran's nuclear program, cut Iran's uranium stockpile and helped the world avoid another war.

Republican leaders in the House tomorrow plan to pass new sanctions on Iran, House Republican majority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) said today. The bill would keep in place financial sanctions on some Iranian financial institutions, in contravention of the nuclear deal that Obama negotiated.

Obama called on Congress to act swiftly in approving the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal the US has agreed with 11 other countries. And he called for lifting of the embargo on Cuba, to complete the normalization of relations with that country.