A couple of weeks ago, President Obama met with Business Roundtable's member CEOs, and his speech reminded me of the "space race" of the 21st century - the development and deployment of green energy technology - something I recently discussed on Treehugger. In his speech, he called for a "smart energy policy" based on enhanced production, greater efficiency and increased incentives for alternative sources. He also acknowledged that the only way forward is to adopt a "comprehensive strategy, not an either/or strategy but a both/and strategy when it comes to energy." It's a message he also sounded in his State of the Union, and one our CEOs resoundingly support (as outlined in our blueprint for a balanced portfolio of technologies, The Balancing Act).
The United States has the brightest minds in the world and a dynamic economy that rewards innovation, so there is no reason we cannot and should not be the international leader in developing new technologies. As the President said, "There's no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains, or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products." The stimulus package was a down payment on incentives for a range of initiatives, from energy efficiency to advanced battery technology. However, we need to build on that success with aggressive energy technology investments that will nurture our nation's natural innovative instincts; the President has done just that in the green energy technology portion of his budget.