Bright as the sun; State called vanguard of changing energy economy.

Byline: John J. Monahan

CAMBRIDGE - President Barack Obama yesterday saw windows that generate electricity and batteries that are grown, not built, and renewed his call to make the United States the world leader in clean energy technology.

In a visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's energy labs, Mr. Obama said the nation that wins the global competition for scientific and engineering breakthroughs will lead the global economy.

"I want America to be that nation. It's as simple as that," Mr. Obama said to loud applause inside MIT's Kresge Auditorium, where about 800 people, including some of the region's top energy scientists and engineers, listened.

Before his address, Mr. Obama toured a research lab at MIT to see ongoing experiments on solar, battery, wind and LED lighting that included an experimental rooftop solar collector that concentrates sunlight on solar electric cells to increase their output.The president pointed to $80 billion in clean energy grants and investments distributed as part of the federal economic recovery program as helping fuel what he said will be a transformation to cleaner energy. That shift will increase national security, create jobs and combat global warming, he said.

Mr. Obama said the federal government will break ground next month on a new wind turbine test facility in Charlestown that will help design more efficient wind turbines for use around the country.

He praised Gov. Deval L. Patrick's clean energy initiatives, which have put the state at the forefront of many energy developments during the last two years.

"I want everyone to understand that Gov. Patrick's leadership and vision made this happen," he said of the governor`s efforts to bring the national test center to Massachusetts.

"There's going to be a lot of debate about how we move from an economy that's importing oil to one that's exporting clean energy technology, how we harness the innovative potential on display here at MIT to create millions of jobs, and how we will lead the world to prevent the worst consequences of climate change," Mr. Obama said.

Critics of global-warming legislation, he said, are being marginalized. But he warned "the closer we get, the harder the opposition will fight and the more we'll hear from those whose interest or ideology run counter to the much-needed action that we're engaged in."

He said federal funds are now helping to develop better hybrid cars and a more efficient electric grid, while doubling the capacity of renewable energy sources nationwide and funding the winterization of homes and buildings.

Mr. Obama, a close political ally and friend of the governor, said Mr. Patrick was bragging about the state's energy initiatives on the way to the auditorium from the airport. "I told him he didn't have to. I already love the place," the president said, with Mr. Patrick and Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray sitting in the front row for the speech.

The midday address came ahead of the president's appearance at a fundraiser for Mr. Patrick and Mr. Murray's re-election campaign at the Westin Copley Place hotel in Boston.

Several hundred people donated $500 to their campaign to attend and about 120 people attended a smaller reception making additional donations to the state Democratic Party of up to $5,000.

At the fundraiser, the president predicted Mr. Patrick would be re-elected. Standing between Mr. Patrick and Mr. Murray, he told supporters that the governor is not tired and is "still fired up" to govern. "I am absolutely confident this team here is gonna win," the president said.

University of Massachusetts President Jack Wilson said students are showing broad interest in new energy technologies with many planning careers in the field as clean energy research is expanding.

"Biofuels, wind energy, solar, any kind of renewables and conservation - our students are really hot after," he said. Mr. Wilson said the university, the students, the president and the governor are "on the same page" hoping to expand the clean energy industry.

State Energy and Environment Secretary Ian Bowles said Massachusetts is seeing earlier investments to develop clean energy industry pay off with job expansion.

With the governor launching clean energy initiatives two years before Mr. Obama came to office, he said, the state is now leading the nation in terms of incentives to promote clean energy development. It is also in a position to attract a large share of federal energy grants from the economic stimulus fund.

ART: PHOTOS

PHOTOG: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

CUTLINE: (1) President Barack Obama tours a research laboratory with professor Vladimir Bulovic at MIT in Cambridge on Friday. (2) With a grin, President Obama holds up a T-shirt in the MIT research lab. With him are, from left, Alex Slocum, MIT President Susan Hockfield, and Gov. Deval Patrick. (3) President Barack Obama, left, and Gov. Deval Patrick, pose for photographers at a fundraiser in Cambridge on Friday.