Pay attention to the need for alternative energy sources, says Hillary Clinton. Pay attention to the need for alternative energy sources, says Hillary Clinton. Photo: Reuters
Ames, Iowa: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has called for a dramatic national shift to energy sources such as solar and wind, setting a goal of generating enough clean renewable energy to power every US home within her first decade in office.
Mrs Clinton, the front-runner for her party's 2016 presidential nomination, also pledged to have more than half a billion solar panels installed nationwide within four years of taking office.
Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton signs autographs after she spoke at the home of Sean and Vidyha Bagniewski in the Beaverdale area of Des Moines, Iowa. Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton signs autographs after she spoke at the home of Sean and Vidyha Bagniewski in the Beaverdale area of Des Moines, Iowa. Photo: Reuters
"I want more wind, more solar, more advanced biofuels, more energy efficiency," she said at a rally on Sunday in Ames, Iowa. "And I've got to tell you, people who argue against this are just not paying attention."
Advertisement
The two goals, announced in a video on Sunday night, were the first elements of what Mrs Clinton said would be a comprehensive climate-change agenda to be released over the next few months.
Mrs Clinton's goals served as a response to Democratic presidential rival Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-styled socialist who has called for swift action on climate change, and to environmental activists anxious to see Mrs Clinton spell out details of a climate plan.
An audience member listens to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday. An audience member listens to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday. Photo: AP
Her campaign said the goals would lead to a 700 percent increase in the nation's installed solar capacity from current levels, and eventually could generate at least one third of all electricity from renewable sources.
Mrs Clinton's plans also call for extending federal clean energy tax incentives and making them more cost effective. In Ames, she said she would continue the wind production tax credit and recalibrate other tax incentives that are "too heavily weighted ... toward fossil fuels."
Mrs Clinton also said she would fight efforts to roll back President Barack Obama's executive actions to curb carbon emissions from power plants.
She was due to discuss the proposals on Monday at an energy-efficient transit station in Iowa, the state that kicks off the 2016 presidential nominating race in barely six months and is a leading wind energy producer.
Mrs Clinton praised Iowa for promoting wind energy and advanced biofuels, and for establishing state tax rebates for installing solar panels in homes and businesses.
She criticised Republicans who are reluctant to say climate change is a man-made phenomenon.
"They will answer any question about climate change by saying: 'I'm not a scientist.' Well, I'm not a scientist either. I'm just a grandmother with two eyes and a brain and I know we're facing a huge problem," she said.
Reuters