Best views, weather, etc. How to test them 👓 SC, Ala. sites look back Betty Ford honored
NEWS
Hill Air Force Base

Obama promotes solar power as economic fuel

David Jackson
USA TODAY

President Obama tours a solar array at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

Pushing the idea of solar energy, President Obama said Friday the nation must redouble its efforts to forge new jobs and growth in order to offset a weakening global economy.

"We have had the strongest economy, but we're impacted by what happens around the world," Obama said during brief remarks at Hill Air Force Base near Salt Lake City in Utah.

Obama spoke just a few hours after the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added just 126,000 jobs in March, the lowest monthly gain since December 2013. The unemployment rate held steady at 5.5%.

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said the economy is still not reaching its potential. Ryan said his committee will step up efforts to enact "the real reforms we need, like tearing down barriers to American exports and cleaning up our tax code."

In Utah, Obama said the U.S. economy continues to grow despite signs of weakening in other parts of the globe, and remains on "the longest stretch of private sector job creation on record."

Given slowness in the world economy, however, Obama said that "we have to redouble our efforts to make sure that we're competitive, to make sure that we're taking the steps that are needed for us to be successful."

In a speech that lasted little more than seven minutes, Obama promoted solar energy jobs programs with an emphasis on military veterans.

The Energy Department is accelerating a program designed to train 75,000 people — including veterans — for jobs in the solar power industry by the year 2020. Last year, the department began a program to train 50,000 people by 2020.

Obama also announced a solar energy training program for military personnel who are preparing to leave the service. Pilot programs are being extended to ten military based nationwide, including Hill Air Force Base.

Solar power supplies 20% of the energy at Hill Air Force Base, Obama said.

"We've got to lead by example, invest in the future, (and) train our workers for good, new jobs in the clean-energy economy," Obama said. "That's how we're going to keep our economy growing."

Obama, who spoke Thursday in Kentucky, returns to the White House late Friday.

Utah became the 49th state that Obama has visited as president; he has only South Dakota remaining.

Featured Weekly Ad