Energy policy is not a focus of the EEJD blog, however, President Bush spent most of his speech today discussing technology policy, and how it will play a critical role in addressing our current energy problems.
From
President Bush's speech:
Technology is allowing us to better use our existing energy resources. And in the years ahead, technology will allow us to create entirely new sources of energy in ways earlier generations could never dream. Technology is the ticket, is this nation's ticket to greater energy independence. . . .
[T]he most important component of our strategy is to recognize the transformational power of technology. Over the last quarter century, technology has radically changed the way we live and work. . . .
I believe the next 25 years the changes are going to be even more dramatic. Our country is on the doorstep of incredible technological advances that will make energy more abundant and more affordable for our citizens. By harnessing the power of technology, we're going to be able to grow our economy, protect our environment, and achieve greater energy independence.
On nuclear power:
Today's technology has made nuclear power safer, cleaner, and more efficient than ever before. Nuclear power is now providing about 20 percent of America's electricity, with no air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. . . .
America has not ordered a new nuclear power plant since the 1970s. France, by contrast, has built 58 plants in the same period.
On oil refineries:
Technology has allowed us to better control emissions and improve the efficiency and environmental performance of our existing refineries. Yet there have been no new oil refineries built in the United States since 1976. And existing refineries are running at nearly full capacity.
On oil and natural gas exploration:
Advances in technology will also allow us to open up new areas to environmentally responsible exploration for oil and natural gas, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. . . . Technology now makes it possible to reach ANWR's hydrocarbons by drilling on just 2,000 acres of the 19 million acres of land. That's just one-tenth of 1 percent of ANWR's total area. Because of the advances in technology, we can reach the oil deposits with almost no impact on land or local wildlife.
On coal energy:
To make cleaner use of this resource, I have asked Congress for more than $2 billion over 10 years for my coal research initiative. It's a program that will encourage new technologies that remove virtually all pollutants from coal-fired power plants. . . . [W]e must put technology to work so we can harness the power of clean coal.
On new sources of energy, such as hydrogen fuel:
Hydrogen is one of the most promising of these new sources of energy. Two years ago my administration launched a crash program called the Hydrogen Fuel initiative. We've already dedicated $1.2 billion over five years to this effort to develop hydrogen-powered fuel cells. We know that when hydrogen is used in the fuel cell it has the power to -- potential to power anything from a cell phone to a computer to an automobile; that it emits pure water, instead of exhaust fumes.
On hydrogen cars:
I've asked Congress for an additional $500 million over five years to help move advanced technology vehicles from the research lab to the dealership lot. . . . To help produce fuel for these cars, my administration has also launched a Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative, an effort to develop advanced nuclear technologies that can produce hydrogen fuels for cars and trucks. . . .
[W]e're developing new technologies that will change the way we drive. . . . We need to get on a path away from the fossil fuel economy. If we want to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy, we must develop new ways to power automobiles.
On renewable fuel:
We can produce another renewable fuel, bodies, from leftover fats and vegetable oils. . . . Ethanol and biodiesel have got great potential. And that's why I've supported a flexible, cost-effective renewable fuel standard as part of the energy bill.
On wind and solar power:
Technology can also help us tap into a vital source that flows around us all the time and that is wind. That's why I've asked Congress to provide $1.9 billion over 10 years for tax incentives for renewable energy technologies like wind, as well as residential solar heating systems and energy produced from landfill gas and biomass.
On energy conservation in the home:
Already, technology is helping us grow our economy while using less energy. . . .
Technological advances are helping develop new products that give our consumers the same and even better performance at lower cost by using less energy. . . .
We can imagine a day when technologies like solar panels, high-efficiency appliances, and advanced installation will allow us to build zero-energy homes that produce as much energy as they consume. That's the promise that technology holds for us all.
On energy conservation in automobiles:
Hybrid vehicles are one of the most promising technologies immediately available to consumers. . . . And their electronic systems are paving the way for tomorrow's hydrogen-powered vehicles.
We're encouraging automakers to produce a new generation of modern, clean diesel cars and trucks. My administration has issued new rules that will remove more than 90 percent of the sulfur in diesel fuel by 2010. . . . We've proposed $2.5 billion over 10 years in tax credits that will encourage consumers to buy energy-efficient hybrid cars and trucks, and we need to expand these incentives to include clean diesel vehicles, as well.
On power delivery:
[T]echnology will help us deliver it more efficiently. New technologies such as superconducting power lines can help us bring our electrical grid into the 21st century, and protect American families and businesses from damaging power outages.
And in conclusion:
We must become less dependent. And there's no doubt in my mind that technology is going to help us achieve that objective.
Update (May 1, 2005): A
thorough fisking of the speech (Apr. 29, 2005) from Trolling in Shallow Water.
