Crowd waits for President Obama's visit to Ottumwa.
President Barack Obama told workers at a southeast Iowa plant today that they are “blazing a trail” to energy independence. Obama toured the Siemens Energy plant in Fort Madison and he told the 600 workers there they were “helping stake America’s claim on a clean energy future.”
Obama said he will not accept “second place” for America in the global race for a “clean energy economy.” Obama noted Iowa is the leading state in the country in the amount of wind energy being generated for electricity.
Obama marveled at the “giant” wind turbine blades that are made in the facility in Fort Madison. Obama told the workers they are part of a generation that’s choosing to “place its bet on the future” by creating clean energy alternatives to fossil fuel.