Nuclear Part of U.S. Clean Energy Future

President Barack Obama has said that by 2035 some 80% of the U.S.' electricity generation should come from clean energy sources, including nuclear power.

During his annual State of the Union speech in Washington DC yesterday, Obama said, "Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear, clean coal and natural gas. To meet this goal, we will need them all—and I urge Democrats and Republicans to work together to make it happen."

He noted, "Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven't seen since the height of the Space Race. And in a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. We'll invest in biomedical research, information technology and especially clean energy technology."

"We've begun to reinvent our energy policy," Obama said. "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."

"I'm asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies," Obama said. "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."

Obama's State of the Union speech came during the U.S.' National Nuclear Science Week. Organized by the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it is described as a "broadly observed weeklong celebration to focus local, regional and national interest on all aspects of nuclear science."