President Obama met with representatives from the oil and gas industry, as well as advocates for renewable energy to discuss climate change and American energy production Thursday night.
The meeting was not publicly announced until Friday morning, after it took place. White House spokesman Joshua Earnest said Mr. Obama reiterated his commitment to “a cleaner and more secure energy future.”
Mr. Obama, who highlighted the issue of climate change heavily in his second inaugural address earlier this year, will follow up on the meeting with a trip to Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Ill., on March 15 for an event focused on American energy.
Mr. Earnest said the discussion covered a range of topics, including “the important role of natural gas in our domestic energy portfolio; new opportunities for renewables like wind, solar and advanced biofuels, the importance of clean energy research and development; as well as the promise and potential of increased energy efficiency in our homes and businesses.”
