A study funded by the United Nations revealed that over 4 billion dollars were spent in 2007 on renewable sources of energy, a rise of 60% over the previous year. Countries across the globe are participating in this effort and subsidize the research needed to develop alternate sources of power.

Among the areas currently being studied are geothermal energy (using energy from the heat buried deep below the earth's surface); wind power, solar power, ocean wave power, and other more exotic efforts.

In 1981, many years before the topic of alternative energy became a mainstream concern, the Lubavitcher Rebbe had already spoken out about the critical need to develop alternative energy and reduce our dependence on foreign nations:

“We see clearly that when this country needs oil it is forced to listen to others -- even to concede matters that are the opposite of justice, fairness, and goodness. They are even forced to start up with the 'eternal inheritance' that was given to the 'eternal nation' in an 'eternal covenant.' This automatically has a negative impact on the physical well being, and even the material well being, of this country itself.

“...If the U.S. would invest in developing the energy sources in its own land, they would have already long been freed of dependence on other nations. If they would develop the domestic sources for oil and coal, etc. here in the U.S., they would long ago have rid themselves of any dependence on foreign nations. On the contrary: These resources are available in such abundance that it would be possible to provide them for other nations as well, just as the U.S. provides many other basic needs, and thus to become a supplier rather than a recipient!

“The basis of this is the recognition that this wealth is not, Heaven forbid, as a result of 'my might, and the strength of my hand,' and does not exist simply to increase seeming honor, or other trivial matters. Rather, it exists because G-d places all of it in the territory of the United States, so that this country should be able to disseminate the commandments recorded in the Torah, the Seven Noahide Laws, with all of their details, corollaries, and specifics -- throughout the entire world!”

The Rebbe concludes that when the United States will strengthen itself and will be energy-independent, this will increase in world peace and hasten the Redemption: “'In their peace you will have peace.' There will be an increase in 'you will have peace' even while we are still in the last days of our exile, and there will be fulfilled, 'for all the Jewish people there was light in their dwellings'; already in the waning days of exile we will arise 'with an uplifted hand.'”