Query: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will establish a 10 percent federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to require that 10 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by 2012.

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Wind power <=SEP=> Wind power is the use of air flow through wind turbines to mechanically power generators for electric power . Wind power , as an alternative to burning fossil fuels , is plentiful , renewable , widely distributed , clean , produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation , consumes no water , and uses little land . The net effects on the environment are far less problematic than those of nonrenewable power sources .   Wind farms consist of many individual wind turbines which are connected to the electric power transmission network . Onshore wind is an inexpensive source of electric power , competitive with or in many places cheaper than coal or gas plants . Offshore wind is steadier and stronger than on land , and offshore farms have less visual impact , but construction and maintenance costs are considerably higher . Small onshore wind farms can feed some energy into the grid or provide electric power to isolated off-grid locations .   Wind power gives variable power which is very consistent from year to year but which has significant variation over shorter time scales . It is therefore used in conjunction with other electric power sources to give a reliable supply . As the proportion of wind power in a region increases , a need to upgrade the grid , and a lowered ability to supplant conventional production can occur . Power management techniques such as having excess capacity , geographically distributed turbines , dispatchable backing sources , sufficient hydroelectric power , exporting and importing power to neighboring areas , using vehicle-to-grid strategies or reducing demand when wind production is low , can in many cases overcome these problems . In addition , weather forecasting permits the electric power network to be readied for the predictable variations in production that occur .   As of 2015 , Denmark generates 40 % of its electric power from wind , and at least 83 other countries around the world are using wind power to supply their electric power grids . In 2014 global wind power capacity expanded 16 % to 369,553 MW . Yearly wind energy production is also growing rapidly and has reached around 4 % of worldwide electric power usage , 11.4 % in the EU .

Energy policy of the United States <=SEP=> The energy policy of the United States is determined by federal , state , and local entities in the United States , which address issues of energy production , distribution , and consumption , such as building codes and gas mileage standards . Energy policy may include legislation , international treaties , subsidies and incentives to investment , guidelines for energy conservation , taxation and other public policy techniques .   Several mandates have been proposed over the years , such as gasoline will never exceed $ 1.00 / gallon ( Nixon ) , and the United States will never again import as much oil as it did in 1977 ( Carter ) , but no comprehensive long-term energy policy has been proposed , although there has been concern over this failure . Three Energy Policy Acts have been passed , in 1992 , 2005 , and 2007 , which include many provisions for conservation , such as the Energy Star program , and energy development , with grants and tax incentives for both renewable energy and non-renewable energy .   There is also criticism that federal energy policies since the 1973 oil crisis have been dominated by crisis-mentality thinking , promoting expensive quick fixes and single-shot solutions that ignore market and technology realities . Instead of providing stable rules that support basic research while leaving plenty of scope for American entrepreneurship and innovation , congresses and presidents have repeatedly backed policies which promise solutions that are politically expedient , but whose prospects are doubtful , without adequate consideration of the dollar costs , environmental costs , or national security costs of their actions .   State-specific energy-efficiency incentive programs also play a significant role in the overall energy policy of the United States .  The United States refused to endorse the Kyoto Protocol , preferring to let the market drive CO2 reductions to mitigate global warming , which will require CO2 emission taxation . The administration of Barack Obama has proposed an aggressive energy policy reform , including the need for a reduction of CO2 emissions , with a cap and trade program , which could help encourage more clean renewable , sustainable energy development . Thanks to new technologies such as fracking , the United States has in 2014 resumed its former role as the top oil producer in the world .

Democratic Party (United States) <=SEP=> The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States , along with the Republican Party . Tracing its heritage back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison 's Democratic-Republican Party , the modern-day Democratic Party was founded around 1828 by Andrew Jackson , making it the world 's oldest active party .   The Democrats ' dominant worldview was once social conservativism and economic liberalism , while , especially in the rural South , populism was its leading characteristic . In 1912 , Theodore Roosevelt ran as a third-party candidate in the Progressive ( `` Bull Moose '' ) Party , leading to a switch of political platforms between the Democratic and Republican Party and Woodrow Wilson being elected as the first fiscally progressive Democrat . Since Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal coalition in the 1930s , the Democratic Party has also promoted a social-liberal platform , supporting social justice .   Today , the House Democratic caucus is composed mostly of progressives and centrists , with a smaller minority of conservative Democrats . The party 's philosophy of modern liberalism advocates social and economic equality , along with the welfare state . It seeks to provide government intervention and regulation in the economy . These interventions , such as the introduction of social programs , support for labor unions , affordable college tuitions , moves toward universal health care and equal opportunity , consumer protection , and environmental protection form the core of the party 's economic policy . The party has united with smaller liberal regional parties throughout the country , such as the Farmer -- Labor Party in Minnesota and the Nonpartisan League in North Dakota .   Well into the 20th century , the party had conservative pro-business and southern conservative-populist anti-business wings . The New Deal Coalition of 1932 -- 1964 attracted strong support from voters of recent European extraction -- many of whom were Catholics based in the cities . After Franklin D. Roosevelt 's New Deal of the 1930s , the pro-business wing withered outside the South . After the racial turmoil of the 1960s , most southern whites and many northern Catholics moved into the Republican Party at the presidential level . The once-powerful labor union element became smaller and less supportive after the 1970s . White Evangelicals and Southerners became heavily Republican at the state and local level in the 1990s . Racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. such as ( but not limited to ) Jewish Americans , Hispanic Americans , Arabic Americans , and African Americans , tend to support the Democratic Party in proportions higher than their overall representation in American society . Overall , the Democratic Party has retained a membership lead over its major rival the Republican Party ( GOP ) .   15 Democrats have served as president under 16 administrations : the first was seventh president Andrew Jackson , who served from 1829 to 1837 ; Grover Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms from 1885 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897 , and is thus counted twice ( as the 22nd and 24th president ) . The most recent was the 44th president Barack Obama , who held the office from 2009 to 2017 .   In the 115th Congress , following the 2016 elections , Democrats are the opposition party , holding a minority of seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate . The party also holds a minority of governorships ( 16/50 ) , and state legislatures ( full control of 12/50 , split control of six others ) , though they do control the mayoralty of cities such as New York City , Los Angeles , Chicago , Houston , and Washington , D.C.

Presidential transition of Barack Obama <=SEP=> The Presidential transition of Barack Obama began when Barack Obama won the United States presidential election on November 4 , 2008 , and became the President-elect . He was formally elected by the Electoral College on December 15 , 2008 . The results were certified by a joint session of Congress on January 8 , 2009 , and the transition ended when he was inaugurated at noon on January 20 , 2009 .