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Clinton aims to boost clean energy on federal land
06/01/2016   By Timothy Cama | The Hill
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Hillary Clinton is pledging a massive increase in renewable energy production on federal land and water.

The tenfold boost in electricity production from sources like wind, solar and geothermal is one of the top features of a conservation and public land agenda the Democratic presidential candidate rolled out Wednesday.

“Now, as we work to combat climate change and build America into the world's clean energy superpower, our public lands can once again play a key role in unlocking the resources we need,” Clinton wrote Wednesday in the San Jose Mercury News, ahead of California’s primary next week.

“While protecting sensitive areas where development poses too great a risk, we can accelerate our transition to a clean energy economy by increasing renewable energy generation on public lands and offshore waters tenfold within a decade,” she said.

While oil, natural gas and coal dominate energy production on federal land and offshore, President Obama has prioritized renewable energy development on public land, seeing it as prime space for wind farms, solar arrays and the like.

The Interior Department has approved dozens of renewable projects during the Obama administration. Its other initiatives have included identifying places on federally owned land that would be ideal for wind and solar, and offered expedited permitting for companies wishing to develop those projects.

As president, Clinton would also set a goal to double the outdoor recreation sector within 10 years, which she said would create millions of new jobs and put up to $700 billion into the economy.

She also wants to better protect federal land from climate change and establish a trust fund for national parks, among other promises.

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