There could not have been a more receptive audience for US President Barack Obama than the one that filled MIT’s 1100-seat Kresge auditorium to capacity today. Obama’s 19- minute speech about clean energy was filled with words that would make any American engineer or scientist’s heart — a Democratic heart, at least — swell with pride. He spoke of how America has always been a leader in innovation and discovery and how he believes the country’s innovators will once again forge ahead to build a new energy economy.

“From China to India, from Japan to Germany, nations everywhere are racing to develop new ways to produce and use energy. The nation that wins this competition will be the nation that leads the world economy. I’m convinced of that. And I want America to be that nation."

Obama touched briefly on the legislative battles that lie ahead for the Democrats seeking to pass the climate bill they introduced in the US Senate three weeks ago. But he didn’t dwell on the politics and controversies of the bill’s cap-and-trade scheme for controlling greenhouse gas emissions. He did however make a point of emphasizing his administration’s large investments in clean energy and science in general through the stimulus package. Really, the speech was a giant “You can do it!” pep rally for researchers.

Just before Obama took to the stage, he toured a few MIT labs doing energy research. He visited with Vladimir Bulovic, who is working on more efficient forms of lighting using quantum dot technology. According to a White House press statement, Obama was scheduled to meet with Angela Belcher and Paula Hammond to check out their work building high-power batteries using viral self-assembly. Also on the tour schedule were Marc Baldo (solar concentrators for solar cells) and Alex Slocum (offshore renewable energy).

Upon arrival on stage, he warmed up the crowd of MIT students, researchers, local politicians and people from Boston’s business and technology communities with jokes about MIT. He even held up a card-sized periodic table of the elements given to him.

Obama stopped at MIT today before heading to a fundraiser for Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick. The president drew quite a crowd outside on the MIT campus, including a few protesters.

You can see a webcast of the speech on the MIT website.