Dive Brief:

• The Obama administration has announced that more than 300 private and public sector entities have committed to the administration's goals to cut carbon pollution and increase energy efficiency. The commitments equate to more than 850 MW of solar generation.
• The administration also announced new executive orders that will ensure $2 billion of energy efficiency investments for federal buildings, new community college education programs to boost the solar workforce by 50,000 jobs by 2020, and increase energy efficiency in homes and business by using smart technology and new building standards.
• In total, the reforms should cut carbon-based pollution by 380 million metric tons and could save businesses across the country $26 billion on their energy bills.

Dive Insight:

For Obama, 2014 is a "year of action" for furthering energy efficiency and renewables. Even the White House has now installed solar panels.

And by committing federal agencies to an energy efficiency program, the administration is leading by example.

Since taking office, Obama's administration has already made significant inroads on its clean energy goals. Solar generation has increased from 1.2 GW of capacity in 2008 to 13 GW today, while wind generation now accounts for over 4% of total generation in the U.S.