After State of Union, Obama to hit Las Vegas to expound on agenda

By Karoun Demirjian

Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 | 2 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama makes his annual stop at the congressional podium tonight to give the country his assessment of and vision for the State of the Union.

Then he will take that message on the road, bringing it on a five-stop tour that includes Las Vegas.

Obama’s speech, which begins at 6 p.m. PST and will be broadcast on all major networks, is based on four “pillars”: manufacturing, energy, skills for workers, and fairness for all and responsibility from all.

He is then expected to speak about the first three pillars on the road. “American energy” will be the topic Obama addresses in Las Vegas, senior White House advisers said Monday.

Those advisers did not offer details Monday about what the president intends to discuss about energy, beyond a plan for an “economy fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources that can be designed here, that can create jobs here, and that can lower costs.”

A look at the president’s detailed travel schedule reveals a few clues about the specifics he might be getting into — at least enough for one good guess.

In Nevada, conversations about investing in energy usually revolve around geothermal power or solar panels. But Obama is not coming to Nevada to talk at a power plant in the desert.

Obama arrives in Las Vegas Wednesday evening. On Thursday morning, he is delivering public remarks at the United Parcel Service Las Vegas South facility.

Last year, UPS announced it had contracted with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to roll out a fleet of 48 liquefied natural gas-fueled transport trucks at a new LNG fueling station. The initial contract, set for seven years, started in 2011.

So where was this station built for this rollout with UPS? Where else: Las Vegas.