Washington, Mar 8 (IANS): Once again attributing rising fuel price to growing demand in countries like China and India and Brazil, President Barack Obama wants America to wean itself off oil, a "fuel of the past".

"Over the long term, the biggest reason oil prices will go up is there's just growing demand in countries like China and India and Brazil," he said Wednesday demanding that the United States broaden its approach to energy.

"People in China, folks in India, folks in Brazil - they're going to want cars, too, as their standard of living goes up, and that means more demand for oil, and that's going to kick up the price of oil worldwide," Obama said speaking at a Daimler truck plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina.

"Those numbers are only going to get bigger over time," Obama said calling on Congress to provide $1 billion in grants to local communities to encourage greater use of fuel-efficient technologies.

Gasoline prices are at their highest levels for this time of year and Obama has been travelling in recent weeks to promote energy proposals he says will reduce foreign oil dependency over the long term.

"We need to invest in the technology that will help us use less oil in our cars and our trucks, and our buildings, and our factories," Obama said. "That's the only solution to the challenge. Because as we start using less, that lowers the demand, prices come down."

Earlier, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters that Obama is "absolutely committed" not to "cede the industries of the future to other countries, our competitors around the globe, including China, India, Spain, other European countries, Brazil."