Says company's $4.4 green tech plan will ultimately save $1 trillion Google CEO Eric Schmidt issued a sweeping challenge to U.S. political leaders this week, calling on them to invest $4.4 trillion dollars in renewable energy over the next two decades.But first he lambasted the short-sighted policies that have led to the country's dependence on fossil fuels. Schmidt said the current state of the U.S. energy industry represents "a complete failure of leadership of the political parties... about a fundamental issue... to me is also shows a lack of understanding of technology and opportunity."With a new administration coming in and an economic stimulus plan (beyond the credit market bailout) likely, Schmidt says the government has an opportunity to remake the energy industry by investing in green technology. "Energy independence should be ... [ Read more ]