This week’s major economic speech from President-elect Barack Obama pointed out how ethanol and biodiesel, as well as other alternatives to conventional energy sources, will be key to the nation’s economic recovery.

This article from the New York Times says the plan also pushes energy efficiency:

“To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double the production of alternative energy in the next three years,” Mr. Obama said in a speech at George Mason University in Virginia. “We will modernize more than 75 percent of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills.”

Mr. Obama also said that the nation must begin building a “smart grid,” which he said would make the country less vulnerable to blackouts or even attacks, in addition to saving money and aiding renewable energy.

The article goes on to point out that green energy jobs have been a longtime priority for Obama since the earliest days of his candidacy.