President Barack Obama covered a wide range of topics during his State of the Union address last night. The housing crisis and energy use and efficiency were two frequent Home & Garden blog topics the president touched upon. (Read the coverage on the Consumer Reports Money blog for more details on the State of the Union.)
Housing"Now, the price of college tuition is just one of the burdens facing the middle class. . . . That's why we're working to lift the value of a family's single largest investment—their home. The steps we took last year to shore up the housing market have allowed millions of Americans to take out new loans and save an average of $1,500 on mortgage payments. This year, we will step up refinancing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages."
The president was referring to the initiative to provide relief to homeowners struggling with their mortgage payments and the Makinghomeaffordable.gov Web site the federal government launched in March. Read more about these efforts in "White House Launches Mortgage-Assistance Web Site" as well as the Consumers Union position on the president's foreclosure-prevention plan.
Energy Use/Energy Efficiency
"We should put more Americans to work building clean-energy facilities and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs. . . .
"Meanwhile, China is not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany is not waiting. India is not waiting. . . . They're making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs. Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America.
"Next, we need to encourage American innovation. . . . And no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy. You can see the results of last year's investments in clean energy—in the North Carolina company that will create 1,200 jobs nationwide helping to make advanced batteries; or in the California business that will put a thousand people to work making solar panels. . . .
". . . Providing incentives for energy-efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future, because the nation that leads the clean-energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation."
During his first year in office, President Obama has made the broad topic of energy—energy efficiency, renewable energy, the smart grid, weatherization, and more—a focus of his administration's undertakings, underscored by the above sections of his address. Here's a selection of related blog posts we've published:
• Energy Efficiency and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009
• President Obama to DOE: Update Energy-Efficiency Standards ASAP
• President Obama Calls Insulation 'Sexy.' We Say It'll Save You Money
• "Cash for Caulkers" Aims to Boost Energy Efficiency of U.S. Homes
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