Two days ago, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. It is not much of an understatement to note that President Obama assumes leadership of this country at a time of profound, perhaps, unprecedented challenges associated with war and an economy in recession. We joined all Americans Tuesday in celebrating this historic moment in our democracy and we pledge our support and offer best wishes to the new President and his Administration.

It will be important, therefore, for the Obama Administration and Congress to continue momentum toward enacting a nationwide greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program. Emissions reductions should be at a level and timetable sufficient to protect the planet. The program should allocate costs fairly among regions of the country and energy consumers; leverage progress made in existing state and regional programs like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; and set one national price for carbon.

One of the new Administration’s major priorities will be working with Congress to finalize an economic stimulus package designed to break the back of the recession. We support President Obama’s call for including clean energy investment incentives in the stimulus package.  Renewable energy tax credits such as the solar investment tax credit and the production tax credit for wind have encouraged investment in these technologies. Long-term extension of the tax credits should be part of the stimulus plan.

And, when the Administration and Congress turn their attention toward longer-range energy policy, we urge continued support for developing new nuclear generating capacity – the only zero-carbon central station technology now available – as well as enactment of a national renewable energy portfolio standard and incentives for building the “smart grid” on which much of the nation’s new energy infrastructure will depend.

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