President Obama issued a strong call in his State of the Union speech for the U.S. to switch from fossil fuels to renewable source of energy, setting a goal of producing 80 percent of U.S. electricity from renewable sources by 2035. The president called for major federal investments in clean energy technologies and an end to billions of dollars in subsidies for oil and coal companies.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but they’re doing just fine on their own,” Obama said. “So instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, let’s invest in tomorrow’s.” Obama also called for major investments in mass transportation, setting a goal of giving 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers praised Obama’s goal of including nuclear power and clean-coal technologies in the alternative energy mix. Meanwhile, numerous commentators noted that Obama did not once mention climate change, underscoring the administration’s emphasis on separating energy policy from the tendentious issue of global warming.

Reprinted with permission from Yale Environment 360