Bush Uses Radio Address to Urge Congress to Pass an Energy Bill
"Demand for electricity has grown more than 17 percent in the past decade," President Bush said in his weekly radio address, "and we continue to import more than one-half of our domestic oil supply." The address reiterated the administration's attention to energy, as Congress begins this week to debate national energy policy legislation.
April 18, 2005
President Bush once again demonstrated an emphasis on energy by dedicating his weekly radio address to the topic.
"The first order of business is for Congress to pass an energy bill," Mr. Bush said, urging legislators to meet four objectives:
- Conservation
- Domestic oil production
- Diversified supplies of fuel and power
- Reliability of transmission lines and pipelines
Electric power
Mr. Bush barely mentioned electric power in this address, placing most of the emphasis on energy in the form of transportation fuels. He briefly discussed the vulnerability of the electric grid infrastructure and encouraged modernization of transmission lines.
"We must modernize our infrastructure to make America's energy more secure and reliable," Bush said, recalling the regional blackouts of 2003.
Bush also promoted nuclear power and coal gasification. He mentioned the importance of production tax credits to encourage the development of renewable power sources.
Transportation energy
The address began by reminding listeners that gasoline prices are rising, a fact that escapes few American drivers or economists these days.
Mr. Bush spent most of this address talking about conserving oil, diversifying supplies, and increasing domestic production.
"We must find smarter ways to meet our energy needs, and we must encourage Americans to make better choices about energy consumption," he said.
The President added his support for a variety of alternative transportation fuels.
"The energy bill must diversify our energy supply by developing alternative sources of energy like ethanol or biodiesel," he said. "The bill must also support pollution-free cars and trucks," referring to research into vehicles powered by hydrogen combustion or fuel cells.
Bush also repeated a link between national security and drilling for more domestic oil, saying, "the energy bill must encourage more production at home in environmentally sensitive ways." Some versions of the stalled 2004 energy legislation include widely opposed provisions to allow drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve.
Role of technology
"Every source of power that we use today started with the power of human invention," the President concluded. "Now it's time to apply our knowledge and technology to keep the American Dream alive in this new century."