Building the American clean energy economy

By Steven Chu and Hilda Solis

Today, people across the country and around the world will celebrate Earth Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of our natural resources and taking real action to make a difference.

For decades, while Americans across the country have worked to make a difference in their communities, politicians in both parties in Washington have ignored the energy crisis, imperiling our economy, our security and our planet. Now, we have a unique opportunity to attack the energy crisis head-on and create a comprehensive energy policy that will bolster our economy, end our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the threat of deadly pollution that is devastating our planet.

During his first months in office, President Obama already has taken some important first strides toward those goals as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which included billions of dollars to be invested in cities and states to strengthen our clean energy industry and help restore America