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Renewable energy in the United States accounted for 13.2 percent of the domestically produced electricity in 2014,〔US Energy Information Administration, (Electric Power Monthly ), January 2013.〕 and 11.2 percent of total energy generation.〔US Energy Information Administration,(Energy monthly ), accessed 6 Nov. 2013.〕 As of 2014, more than 143,000 people work in the solar industry and 43 states deploy net metering, where energy utilities buy back excess power generated by solar arrays. Renewable energy reached a major milestone in the first quarter of 2011, when it contributed 11.7 percent of total U.S. energy production (2.245 quadrillion BTUs of energy), surpassing energy production from nuclear power (2.125 quadrillion BTUs). 2011 was the first year since 1997 that renewables exceeded nuclear in US total energy production.〔US Energy Information Administration, (Total Energy ).〕 Hydroelectric power is currently the largest producer of renewable power in the U.S. It produced around 6.2% of the nation's total electricity in 2010 which was 60.2% of the total renewable power in the U.S.〔 The United States is the fourth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world after China, Canada and Brazil. The Grand Coulee Dam is the 5th largest hydroelectric power station in the world. U.S. wind power installed capacity now exceeds 60,000 MW and supplies 4% of the nation's electricity.〔US Energy Information Administration, (), September 2013.〕 Texas is firmly established as the leader in wind power development, followed by Iowa and California.〔American Wind Energy Association, (Annual U.S. wind power rankings track industry's rapid growth )〕 Since the U.S. pioneered the technology with Solar One, several solar thermal power stations have also been built. The largest of these solar thermal power stations is the SEGS group of plants in the Mojave Desert with a total generating capacity of 354 MW, making the system the largest solar plant of any kind in the world.〔(SEGS I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII & IX )〕 The largest photovoltaic power plant in the world are the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, a 550 MW solar power plant under construction in Riverside County, California and the Topaz Solar Farm, a 550 MW photovoltaic power plant, being built in San Luis Obispo County, California. The Geysers in Northern California is the largest complex of geothermal energy production in the world. The development of renewable energy and energy efficiency marks "a new era of energy exploration" in the United States, according to President Barack Obama.〔(President Obama Touts Clean Energy on Earth Day )〕 In a joint address to the Congress on February 24, 2009, President Obama called for doubling renewable energy within the next three years.〔(Remarks of President Barack Obama -- Address to Joint Session of Congress )〕 In his 2012 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama restated his commitment to renewable energy and mentioned the long-standing Interior Department commitment to permit 10,000 MW of renewable energy projects on public land in 2012. ==Rationale for renewables== Renewable energy technologies encompass a broad, diverse array of technologies, including solar photovoltaics, solar thermal power plants and heating/cooling systems, wind farms, hydroelectricity, geothermal power plants, and ocean power systems and the use of biomass. The report ''Outlook On Renewable Energy In America'' explains that America needs renewable energy, for many reasons:
In 2009, President Barack Obama in the inaugural address called for the expanded use of renewable energy to meet the twin challenges of energy security and climate change. Those were the first references ever to the nation's energy use, to renewable resources, and to climate change in an inauguration speech of a U.S. president. President Obama looked to the near future, saying that as a nation, the United States will "harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."〔(President Obama Calls for Greater Use of Renewable Energy )〕 The president's ''New Energy For America'' plan calls for a federal investment of $150 billion over the next decade to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future. Specifically, the plan calls for renewable energy to supply 10% of the nation's electricity by 2012, rising to 25% by 2025.〔 In his joint address to Congress in 2009, Obama stated that: "We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st. century....Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation’s supply of renewable energy in the next three years... It is time for America to lead again".〔 According to Clean Edge, there's little doubt that the future of energy will be cleaner. The transition from carbon-intensive energy sources like wood, coal, and oil to natural gas and renewables, is well underway. For much of the developed world, and for developing nations, the "future looks increasingly like it will be built off of a mix of energy efficiency, renewables, the electrification of transport, and lower carbon fuels like natural gas". A 2010 survey conducted by Applied Materials shows that two-thirds of Americans believe solar technology should play a greater role in meeting the country's energy needs. In addition, "three-quarters of Americans feel that increasing renewable energy and decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil are the country's top energy priorities". According to the survey, "67 percent of Americans would be willing to pay more for their monthly utility bill if their utility company increased its use of renewable energy".〔(Americans Willing To Pay More for Solar ) ''Renewable Energy World'', 25 June 2010.〕 In a 2010 Chicago Council on Global Affairs public opinion survey, an overwhelming 91 percent believed "investing in renewable energy" is important for the United States to remain economically competitive with other countries, with 62 percent considering this very important. The same poll found strong support for tax incentives to encourage development of renewable energy sources specifically as a way to reduce foreign energy imports. Eight in ten (80 percent) favored tax incentives, 47 percent strongly, and only 17 percent were opposed. As of 2011, new evidence has emerged that there are considerable risks associated with traditional energy sources, and that major changes to the mix of energy technologies is needed:
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