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Skriven 2005-04-20 23:33:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0504202) for Wed, 2005 Apr 20
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Fact Sheet: Securing Our Nation's Energy Future
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 20, 2005

Fact Sheet: Securing Our Nation's Energy Future



Presidential Action

President Bush on April 20, 2005, Delivered Remarks On Energy Policy Before
Members Of The United States Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce. The President
stressed the vital need for comprehensive energy legislation to sustain the
economic growth of the last two years, and outlined a plan to put us on a
path toward greater energy independence.
  þ The President Proposed A National Energy Plan During His First Months
    In Office.

Background: Keeping Our Economy Growing Requires An Affordable, Reliable,
And Secure Supply Of Energy

The President Has Outlined A Plan Towards Greater Energy Independence. In
the immediate term, the United States will encourage oil-producing
countries to maximize their production. In the long term, we must increase
our supply of energy to meet the demands of our growing economy.

Energy Solutions Should Reduce U.S. Dependence On Foreign Energy.
  þ The United States Has Become Increasingly Dependent On Foreign Energy
    Sources. Over the past decade, America's energy consumption has
    increased by more than 12 percent, yet domestic production has
    increased by less than 0.5 percent.
  þ Energy Security Is A Matter of Economic Security. When America depends
    on only a handful of countries for almost 60 percent of its oil, the
    danger of major energy disruptions grows.
  þ Reducing Energy Dependence Requires Conservation And Exploration. By
    using less energy and opening up new areas to
    environmentally-responsible exploration, the United States can become
    less dependent on foreign energy sources. Developing even a tiny
    section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) will reduce
    dependence on foreign oil by up to 1 million barrels per day.

The President Has Laid Out Four Basic Principles That Must Guide
Comprehensive Energy Legislation.
  þ Use Technology To Improve Conservation And Efficiency. The average
    American home loses between 10 and 50 percent of its energy through
    inadequate insulation and inefficient lights and appliances. Extending
    the Energy Star program would encourage the sale and production of
    energy efficient products, which would increase the supply of available
    energy and help families meet their bottom lines.
  þ Increase Domestic Energy Production In Environmentally Responsible
    Ways. There are several ways to increase energy production without
    negatively affecting the environment, including opening up new areas
    like ANWR, implementing the President's Clean Coal Power Initiative so
    America can make clean use of its abundant coal supply, and expanding
    the nation's use of nuclear power by renewing existing law that
    provides power-plant operators with liability protection.
  þ Diversify The Nation's Energy Supply. The energy bill should make our
    country less vulnerable to unexpected price spikes or shifts in supply
    by promoting the use of renewable energy sources with tax credits, by
    developing alternative sources of energy like hydrogen, and by
    encouraging greater use of ethanol and biodiesel.
  þ Modernize The Domestic Energy Infrastructure. The energy bill should
    modernize our aging energy infrastructure to help reduce the risk of
    large-scale blackouts and minimize transmission bottlenecks. This can
    be done by repealing outdated rules that discourage investment in new
    infrastructure and by encouraging the development of new technologies,
    such as superconducting power lines, to make the grid more efficient.

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