This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

March 27, 2013

Energy Department Launches Bold New Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative

By David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

On March 26, I announced the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative at the ribbon cutting of a new facility that I believe represents the kind of strong public-private partnerships we will need to build to ensure American leadership in clean energy manufacturing: the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative aims to:

Increase U.S. competitiveness in the production of clean energy products—a key economic opportunity for America to innovate, compete and lead the way in a growing global marketplace.

Increase manufacturing competitiveness by increasing energy productivity in the U.S. manufacturing sector. This includes the use of advanced manufacturing technologies, implementation of energy efficiency measures, the capture of combined heat and power opportunities and taking advantage of low-cost natural gas to help American manufacturers across the board compete in the global marketplace.

Helping U.S. manufacturers succeed in the global marketplace is one of my top priorities here at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. During the State of the Union last month, President Obama re-emphasized the Administration’s commitment to American manufacturing, declaring that "Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing." The clean energy sector represents one of the most promising areas for the United States to re-invigorate its manufacturing base and create good paying American jobs. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog.