WASHINGTON – President-Elect Barack Obama will take office January 20th with the strongest commitment to renewable energy of any President in history.
Obama’s widely anticipated inauguration speech is expected to highlight bold new national policies to speed America’s transition to a renewable energy economy.
— Construction of a high-voltage “interstate highway” system to bring more wind and solar energy to America’s major cities.
— A national policy mandating America’s electric utilities to buy a percentage of their electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind – the most readily available, abundant and affordable sources of green energy.
— Aggressive near-term targets to reduce America’s dependence upon imported oil to address both global warming and national security.
Wind and solar energy companies, already coming off a year of record growth in 2008, are expected to gain new momentum through the inauguration and first 100 days as the new Obama administration implements its green agenda.
Growth and investment in the solar industry is focused on manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) laminate – which convert sunlight to renewable energy. Analysts at Lazard Capital Markets confirmed buy ratings on leading PV suppliers Energy Conversion Devices (Nasdaq: ENER) and First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR).
