President Announces 100th Day Recovery Act Report

May 26: President Barack Obama marked the 100th day of the Recovery Act by releasing "100 Days, 100 Projects," a report from the Vice President that highlights the progress the country has made in the first 100 days of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the work that is already being done to build a new foundation for America’s economic recovery. President Obama said, "One hundred days ago, in the midst of the worst economic crisis in half a century, we passed the most sweeping economic recovery act in history -- a plan designed to save jobs, create new ones, and put money in people’s pockets. Now, one hundred days later, we are meeting our economic challenges head-on and beginning to see early signs of progress across the country."

Among the projects in the report are two new Recovery Act investments totaling over $467 million to expand and accelerate the development and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the country that the President announced during a visit to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Nellis Air Force Base is home to the largest solar photovoltaic array in the United States, and 25 percent of the energy used by the 12,000 people that live and work on the base is generated by the 72,000 solar panel installation. The Recovery Act funds announced represent a substantial down payment on bringing renewable energy technology like that used at Nellis to the mass market and is expected to create thousands of jobs, particularly in the western United States.

According to the White House, the announcement is just one of the many ways the Recovery Act is jump-starting the economy today and building a new foundation for sustained economic growth in the future. "Across the country, the Recovery Act is already at work, providing essential financial relief for American families and businesses, creating and saving jobs, and spurring technology and infrastructure investments that will lay the groundwork for the new economy – and work is just getting started."

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law on February 17, 2009. Just 100 days into the two-year economic recovery program, over $112 billion in Recovery Act funds has been obligated to stimulative programs and projects and the White House says over 150,000 jobs have been created or saved by the Recovery Act.

Access a release from the White House and link to the 100 days report and additional information on geothermal and solar energy technology (click here).