Hillary Clinton calls for U.S. to become clean energy ‘superpower’

Hillary Clinton, the former US secretary of state, has called for global investments in renewable energy to be increased to improve energy security and address climate change.

Ms Clinton spoke at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas on Thursday and warned of the threats being posed by ongoing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The summit was the seventh annual green energy conference and was hosted by U.S. Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Clinton, who is seen as a likely Democrat candidate for the 2016 presidential election, said: “Sea levels are rising, ice caps are melting, storms, droughts and wildfires are wreaking havoc. 13 of the top 14 warmest years have all come since 2000,” and she and described the threat of climate change as "the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges" facing the world today.

She credited northern Nevada's selection for a US$5 billion Tesla automobile battery plant to the emergence of Nevada as a leader in renewable energy projects saying: “America can be the clean energy superpower of the 21st century. Just look at what’s happening here in Nevada. This state has quintupled its renewable energy capacity since 2008. Our economic recovery, our efforts against climate change, our strategic position in the world all will improve if we can build a safe bridge to a clean energy economy,” the former first lady added.

Figures released earlier this year by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed that throughout 2012, the USA’s total GHG emissions fell by 3.4 per cent.

The reduction, partly due to the increase in renewable energy use, equals a reduction of almost 10 per cent from 2005 levels – the benchmark by which the US government measures its emission reductions.

The government’s 2020 target is aiming for a reduction of 17 per cent from 2005 levels.

She expressed support for the Obama administration’s Climate Action Plan, a broad set of measures that includes the recently proposed EPA rules for curbing carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants. 

She steered clear of the Keystone XL pipeline debate however, though she has expressed support for the project in the past.