Clean-energy technologies have long been discussed in Washington as a means to lower pollution and wean our dependence on foreign oil.

At a recent fundraising stop in Holland, Michigan, President Obama called these technologies “jobs of the future,” and reiterated how investing in these developing sectors can stimulate new jobs and encourage automakers to meet new fuel-economy standards for cars and trucks, The Associated Press reports.

In a state with an unemployment rate of 10.5 percent in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the impact could be tremendous for eager job-seekers.

African-Americans remain the hardest hit in the state’s job crisis, a recent study from the Economic Policy Institute found. The study reports that Black unemployment in Michigan spiked to 23.4 percent in 2010, more than double that of whites.

President Obama spoke to plant workers at Johnson Controls Inc., which specializes in advanced batteries for alternative-fuel vehicles such as hybrids or all-electrics, the report adds.

The energy company recently received a $3 million federal grant that is expected to create 150 jobs at facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin, White House energy adviser Heather Zichal told the AP.

(Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)