President Barack Obama devoted much of his latest weekly radio address to the importance of creating green jobs in sectors like wind and solar energy.

"For decades, we’ve talked about the importance of ending our dependence on foreign oil and pursuing new kinds of energy, like wind and solar power. But for just as long, progress had been prevented at every turn by the special interests and their allies in Washington," said the president.

Obama singled out two solar energy companies that are using federal loan guarantees to create jobs and reduce carbon emissions.

One company he cited, Abengoa Solar, is using a $1.45 billion to build the Solana solar power plant in Arizona, creating about 1,600 construction jobs and 85 permanent jobs in the process. The other solar energy company cited by the president is BrightSource Energy, which is building a large array in California's Mojave Desert - a project that will create 1,000 construction jobs and in additional 86 in operations and maintenance.

Along with solar energy, the government has been working to develop other clean technologies such as advanced batteries, electric vehicles and smart grid technology.