By KBIA/St. Louis Public Radio
Macon, Mo. – President Obama used a stop in northeast Missouri Wednesday to restate his commitment to increasing the use of alternatives fuels.
Mr. Obama told a group of dignitaries and employees at the POET Biorefining Plant in Macon, Mo. that he wants the U.S. to triple its biofuels production in the next 12 years. The energy security plan, he said, will save 700,00 jobs by the end of 2012.
Other countries like China and Spain, the president said, have made investments in clean energy while the United Stats has talked about it.
"Well I've said before I don't accept second place for the United States of America," Mr. Obama said. "I want us to be first in wind power, first in solar power, and I want us to be first when it comes to biodiesel and the technologies that re being developed in places like POET."
Gov. Jay Nixon told the crowd that the state, and towns like Macon, have a large stake in helping the country achieve energy independence. But in his latest round of budget cuts, Nixon sliced more than $3 million in subsidies for biodiesel production.
Other dignitaries in the crowd included Attorney General Chris Koster, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, and U.S. agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack.