Obama Delivers Major Energy Speech in Miami, Renewable Groups Unite for Grid Design, Gingrich Releases 29 Min Energy Commercial

There is no "silver bullet" to stopping the rise in gasoline prices, President Obama said even as he listed ways his administration is boosting domestic oil output and fostering efficiency and alternative fuel programs.  His speech, at the University of Miami in Florida, is at a time when fast-rising pump prices for gasoline and diesel are ratcheting up household expenses a lot like last year. 

President Obama said this year's oil price spike is largely driven by concerns over Iran, which at times has threatened to close the Persian Gulf to oil tanker traffic and is in a tense standoff with industrial nations over their sanctions of its oil sales and its suspected nuclear weapons program. Longer-term, he said fuel prices will keep rising as China, India and Brazil continue their fast growth in autos and fuel use.

At the same time, Obama said with rising gas prices "we’re experiencing yet another painful reminder of why developing new energy is so critical to our future," and cited administration efforts to sharply boost vehicle fuel efficiency and develop algae-based fuels. The White House posted two fact sheets on energy issues in connection with this speech.

The first in a series of forums to outline a viable business model for U.S. renewable electricity in the 21st century took place yesterday. The California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF), which creates innovative financial products for the clean energy economy, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) are lead organizers of the event.

"This is the first time top leaders from the utility and renewables industries have met to hammer out an executable plan to boost renewable energy integration nationwide," said Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, president of ACORE. "Everyone in the forum wants more renewables, but we may not all be aligned on how to get to that shared goal. This year's forums aim to reach that alignment so utilities and renewable energy companies can strike forward most effectively."

Republican Presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich has released a full 29 minute energy commercial on his views on how to craft a better energy policy.  “I know that we can do better,” Gingrich says. “And I know that if we open up American energy, think about the things that happen simultaneously. We get a lot more jobs, that is, people that come off of unemployment … And they go to work taking care of their family and paying taxes. So government revenue goes up, government expenses go down.”