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Skriven 2005-07-29 23:33:46 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0507299) for Fri, 2005 Jul 29
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Fact Sheet: The Energy Bill: Good For Consumers, The Economy, And The
Environment
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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 29, 2005

The Energy Bill: Good For Consumers, The Economy, And The Environment


ÿÿÿÿÿIn Focus: Energy

"America must have an energy policy that plans for the future, but meets
the needs of today. I believe we can develop our natural resources and
protect our environment."
_ President George W. Bush

FACT SHEET

President Bush entered office calling on Congress to pass the first
national energy plan in a generation. He proposed a comprehensive energy
plan to encourage conservation and energy efficiency; expand the use of
alternative and renewable energy; increase the domestic production of
conventional fuels; and invest in modernization of our energy
infrastructure.

The energy bill passed by Congress this week paves the way for a brighter
and more secure energy future with more reliable, affordable, and clean
sources of energy to power America forward. It will help put us on the path
to reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy. Our reliance on
imported energy did not come about overnight, and it will take time to
reverse.

By harnessing the power of American innovation and technological
development, the energy bill will help us transform the way that we use and
produce energy - resulting in greater energy security, a growing economy,
and a healthier environment for generations of Americans to come.

To Encourage Conservation And Energy Efficiency, The Energy Bill:
  þ Establishes new energy efficiency standards for a wide variety of
    consumer products and commercial appliances, and offers tax incentives
    to encourage their purchase
  þ Encourages improved efficiency in homes and buildings, establishes new
    aggressive Federal energy savings goals, and reauthorizes the Energy
    Savings Performance Contract program to conserve more energy at Federal
    facilities
  þ Offers tax incentives to consumers to purchase energy-efficient hybrid,
    clean diesel, and fuel cell vehicles
  þ Requires a new, multi-year rulemaking by the Department of
    Transportation to increase fuel economy standards for passenger cars,
    light trucks, and SUVs

To Expand The Use Of Alternative And Renewable Energy, The Energy Bill:
  þ Establishes a new Renewable Fuel Standard that requires the annual use
    of 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol and biodiesel in the nation's fuel
    supply by 2012
  þ Extends the existing tax credit for production of electricity from
    renewable resources, such as wind, biomass, and landfill gas, and
    creates for the first time a tax credit for residential solar energy
    systems
  þ Authorizes full funding for the President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
  þ Provides Federal risk insurance and extends the Price-Anderson Act to
    mitigate the potential cost of unforeseen delays and encourage
    investment in a new generation of safer, more reliable, and more
    proliferation-resistant nuclear power plants

To Increase The Domestic Production Of Conventional Fuels, The Energy Bill:
  þ Makes needed reforms to clarify the onshore oil and gas permitting
    process, and reduce conflicts with other laws and regulations
    (stormwater, CZMA, hydraulic fracturing)
  þ Clarifies FERC jurisdiction over siting of onshore LNG facilities to
    accelerate development of a global market in natural gas and help
    reduce prices for U.S. consumers
  þ Authorizes full funding for the President's Clean Coal Research
    Initiative and updates Federal coal leasing laws
  þ Eliminates the 2 percent "oxygenate requirement" for reformulated
    gasoline, to improve the flexibility of our fuel supply and reduce the
    number of "boutique fuels"

To Encourage Investment In Modernization And Reliability Of Our Energy
Infrastructure, The Energy Bill:
  þ Requires mandatory reliability standards to make the electric power
    grid more reliable and protect against blackouts
  þ Reforms outdated tax laws to expand investments in electric
    transmission and generation facilities
  þ Establishes last-resort Federal siting authority for transmission lines
    deemed in the "national interest" to ensure a better functioning power
    grid

The Energy Bill Also Helps Reduce The Global Demand For Energy By:
  þ Working with our international partners - including fast growing
    nations like China and India - to encourage them to deploy the cleanest
    and most efficient energy technologies as they develop and grow their
    economies

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