2011 State of the Union Address

President Obama’s State of the Union Address was filled with directly stated goals for bipartisanship, a strong call for American innovation and clean energy solutions. These goals must go hand-in-hand with one another. To quote the President, “…we’ll need to take on challenges that have been decades in the making.” This is the scale of the challenges we face, and without compromise and real effort, we will not succeed.

Some of my favorite lines from the address on these issues:

Bipartisanship:

“Now, by itself, this simple recognition won't usher in a new era of cooperation. What comes of this moment is up to us. What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow.

I believe we can. And I believe we must. That's what the people who sent us here expect of us. With their votes, they've determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. New laws will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans. We will move forward together, or not at all — for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics.”

American innovation:

“The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation…But because it's not always profitable for companies to invest in basic research, throughout our history, our government has provided cutting-edge scientists and inventors with the support that they need”

“…we've begun to reinvent our energy policy. We're not just handing out money. We're issuing a challenge. We're telling America's scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we'll fund the Apollo projects of our time.”

Clean energy:

“…clean energy technology -- an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.”

“I'm asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. I don't know if — I don't know if you've noticed, but they're doing just fine on their own. So instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's invest in tomorrow's.”

One point that needs to be stressed, that Obama did mention, is the fact that “clean energy breakthroughs will only translate into clean energy jobs if businesses know there will be a market for what they're selling”

That is the key folks. Guaranteeing a market for these technologies is what will spur the innovation, which will bring down the costs of cleaner energy, which will bring about the moment we can see these new technologies compete. We need to put our money in the future, not the past and not in the pockets of Petrodictators. And I’m sorry for those who don’t want to hear this, but government is going to have to be a part of it.

Bottom line: I was very happy to hear Obama makes these arguments because I truly believe they are the pathways toward a new and better America. Like Obama said, “the rules have changed.” So, so must we.