After alluding to putting $15 billion in renewable energy development during his State of the Union Address (see my post from last Tuesday night), Pres. Barack Obama has officially called for the money in his first budget.

From his statement posted on the White House Web page:

Because our future depends on our ability to break free from oil that’s controlled by foreign dictators, we need to make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. That’s why we’ll be working with Congress on legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy.

And to support this effort, we’ll invest $15 billion a year for 10 years to develop technologies like wind power and solar power, and to build more efficient cars and trucks right here in America. It’s an investment that will put people back to work, make our nation more secure, and help us meet our obligation as good stewards of the Earth we all inhabit.

The $15 billion is just part of the $3.5 TRILLION 2010 federal budget.