It was only a matter of time before the snazzy names started being tossed around. 

Obama's coming stimulus, with its blatant green hue, has led to a whirlwind of names for the legislative package, including the 'New New Deal,' the 'Green New Deal,' and the 'Green Stimulus.'

As the exact nature of the bill became clear this week, excitement in the alternative energy world was apparent.

And rightly so.

The bill, which is still young, already includes:

• $20 billion in tax cuts by way of a production tax credit (PTC) extension for wind, geothermal, hydro, and bioenergy
• $32 billion for increased transmission capacity
• $16 billion for building retrofits for energy efficiency
• $6 billion for home weatherization 
• $2.4 billion for carbon capture technology

There is plenty to be excited about, especially since this is just a kick-off party for what will undoubtedly be four years of staunch cleantech support.

In addition to the provisions in the new infrastructure stimulus, Obama has also said he'll invest $150 billion over 10 years to expand the use of clean energy and create green jobs.

He's also committed to doubling our use of renewable energy in three years.

And he's touted the notion of reducing emissions via either a cap-and-trade system or carbon tax.

Of course, with our harsh political climate, these green plans are already meeting opposition. For the large part though, the plan's detractors are members of the Old Guard, desperately trying to cling the policies and do-nothing attitude of yesterday.

The Status Quo Versus Ready to Go

Indeed, soon to be shadows of an exiting administration are pulling out all the stops to condemn the new plan.

Outgoing Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said this week that "Obama will have a hard time significantly increasing America's alternative energy production," according to Reuters.  It's easy to see how someone could think that, especially if they've been drinking the Kool-Aid for the past eight years.

But an outsider's perspective, like that from International Energy Agency (IEA) Chief Nobuo Tanaka,  has proven drastically different.

In his words, Obama's plan to double the use of renewables in three years "is very ambitious, but he can certainly do that."

Such is the difference between the status quo and the ready to go.

An exiting administration full of naysayers and fossil fuel supporters is giving way to an incoming administration full of new ideas and a 'can do' attitude.

Get ready, Obama, Chu, and the rest of the energy team are about to usher in a new era of energy legislation and incentives.

The Green New Deal, and all that comes with it, is about to set us on a new energy course of reduced emissions, job creation, and renewed world leadership.

Nick Hodge is a regular contributor to Energy & Capital, Wealth Daily and Green Chip Stocks, and has been featured on Canada's Business News Network and Yahoo!'s Tech Ticker.