Obama talks energy during visit to PSU
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State freshman Owen Osborn was exactly the type of student President Barack Obama sought to inspire Thursday on a trip to Happy Valley touting proposals boosting clean energy technology.
The head of the state Republican Party criticized the visit, and a handful of quiet protesters held up signs outside the campus’ Rec Hall before a speech by the president. Otherwise, Obama received an overwhelmingly friendly reception in the kind of college setting that was a frequent stop during his 2008 election campaign.
Thursday’s speech focused on proposals to promote energy-efficient buildings and touted Penn State’s research in the field.
The 18-year-old Osborn, of Carlisle, swooned about the initiatives after the president’s 20-minute talk to about 3,000 people at the ticketed event.
“The future and green energy is going to be something bigger,” Osborn said.
Obama proposed a new tax credit and other measures to encourage businesses to retrofit buildings and reduce costs, amounting to savings that he said could amount to $40 billion a year in utility bills. He promoted his view that the pursuit of technological innovations would create more jobs in the future.
Administration officials offered no details on how much Obama’s plan would cost.
The president said the elimination of oil industry subsidies would help pay for the plan.
“I appreciate his focus on innovation and building the next big thing. . It’s a smart thing,” said Ryan Koseski, 30, a researcher at the university focusing on natural gas.
To liven up a speech on a topic which Obama at one point said “may not sound too sexy,” the president also sprinkled in references to the school’s popular football coach, Joe Paterno.
The 84-year-old Hall of Famer attended with his wife, Sue and son, Jay, the quarterbacks coach, and drew cheers from the crowd.
More in Pennsylvania News
