Ohio received its best commendation on clean energy programs. None other than US Pres. Barrack Obama said that Toledo, the fourth most populous city in the US state Of Ohio, is poised to become a leader in clean energy technology by creating jobs in solar panel installation, wind turbines and advanced-battery manufacturing.

Standing at Arch. Joe Weithman’s backyard with 40 people sitting on picnic benches, Obama said that Toledo blessed with skilled workers will also be more likely to benefit from manufacturing jobs including the auto industry. Ohio has made its marked on the clean energy technology with the rise of big and small green industries. It is home to multiple energy-intensive corporation and well-trained workforce.

For example: Sunpower Inc produces engine for future energy-efficient uses. It has become a world leader in producing energy-efficient, environmentally friendly power generating machines. It also manufactures cooling device for space vehicles and appliances.

Xunlight Corp. produces solar panels. It employs around 100 workers. Dovetail Solar and Wind produce clean energy systems and the same company which installed photovoltaic solar panel at the Air National Guard base; quasar energy group in cooperation with the researchers at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center is pioneering methane-producing technologies, turning waste to energy. It can convert 40,000 tons city waste into 1 megawatt of electricity annually. Nextech Materials, producer of fuel cells and devices to cost cut electricity usage, plans to put up manufacturing plant in Ohio. These are just few green industries situated in Ohio, the numbers is still growing.

Obama is on a three-day, cross-country tour to defend his economic policies and raise money for Democratic candidates. He assured Ohioans that US economy is slowly recovering from recession. Differing in opinion, Republicans said that unemployment rate in Ohio is at 10.5% Mary Taylor, State auditor of Ohio and Gubernatorial candidate John Kasich’s running mate noted that 130,000 jobs in Ohio vanished since the implementation of the stimulus bill which made the national debt rise to 13 trillion.

A recent poll shows that the White House hasn’t made much progress in marketing the stimulus program to voters. This may be the reason why Obama is working overtime and making regular trips outside Washington, to defend the stimulus and assure Americans that the economy is recovering.

Source: Pew Charitable Trusts, 2009, based on the National Establishment Time Series Database; analysis by Pew Center on the States and Collaborative Economics.