Energy in IllinoisPresident Barack Obama talked about his second term goals for the energy sector during a private meeting with energy executives last Thursday. The White House announced that the president will speak more about the issue during an event in Illinois next week.

The private meeting came just before a trip planned for March 15 to the Argonne National Laboratory, which is located just outside of Chicago. The trip will focus on energy according to White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

Last Thursday, President Obama met with top officials from gas and oil producer Anadarko Petroleum Corp, power producer Sempra, renewable power producer NexEra, and shipping giant FedEx Corp, which is one of the world’s largest fuel consumers.

President Obama talked about the role of natural gas as well as other opportunities for renewable energy. He also talked about his interest in public-private partnerships to reach energy and climate goals.

More than a dozen people attended the meeting, which also included officials from energy data firm Opower, Southwest Gas, wind turbine parts manufacturer Winergy, and several advisers and academics. President Obama said that he is going to address climate change, which is one of his priorities for his second term. He often talks about how the improvement in energy production in the nation has helped the economy.

The president made his intention clear when he named Gina McCarthy as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. She is a 25 year veteran of environmental policy and politics.

President Obama is set to speak at the Argonne National Laboratory next week. It is one of the Department of Energy’s biggest national laboratories for scientific and engineering research. It employs more than 1,250 scientists and engineers.

President Obama’s schedule for next week includes a trip to Capitol Hill to meet with Democrats and Republicans in the house and Senate. His second term travels included a stop that is focused on his agendas, which are immigration, gun control, education, and manufacturing.