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Skriven 2005-04-27 23:33:12 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0504273) for Wed, 2005 Apr 27
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President Discusses Energy at National Small Business Conference
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 27, 2005

President Discusses Energy at National Small Business Conference
Washington Hilton Hotel
Washington, D.C.

President's Remarks
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˙˙˙˙˙In Focus: Small Business

2:16 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for the warm welcome. I appreciate such a generous
welcome. Marianne, thank you for your introduction, and congratulations on
being the Small Business Person of the Year. You had some pretty stiff
competition. (Laughter.) I appreciate the courage that Marianne has shown
and her determination to succeed. She is proof that the entrepreneurial
spirit in America is really strong.

I want to thank Hector Barreto, the SBA Administrator. I appreciate the
fine job he's done. (Applause.) It was my honor to meet some of the state
Small Business Person of the Year honorees. Congratulations. I appreciate
the ambassadors who are here. Embajadores, thank you for coming. And I
appreciate you all giving me a chance to come by and visit with you.
(Laughter and applause.)

I appreciate the fact that our small business owners are taking risks and
pursuing dreams, and as a result, you're creating jobs for millions of our
citizens. A vibrant small business sector is important for the economic
health of our country. I appreciate the fact that the small business
entrepreneurs are some of the great innovators in our nation. After all,
men and women who run small businesses have a vision to see beyond what is,
and the courage to pursue what might be.

From Thomas Edison's light bulb to Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, to
Henry Ford's Model T, most Americans -- most of America's great inventions
began with the innovative spirit of entrepreneurs. And today a new
generation of entrepreneurs is leading a technological revolution that will
transform our lives in incredible ways. I'm going to spend a little time
talking about how technology can help us.

One of the roles of an administration is to set an agenda, a clear agenda.
I've laid out an agenda that I believe will unleash the innovative spirit
of our small business entrepreneurs. We can't make you successful, but we
can create an environment in which people can dream big dreams and in which
people are willing to risk capital. We need to keep your taxes low. We need
to protect you from needless regulation and the burden of junk lawsuits.
(Applause.) We'll continue to work to open up new markets for your
products. The House of Representatives and the United States Senate needs
to pass CAFTA legislation, free-market agreement with Central America.
(Applause.)

We'll continue to work to lower the cost of health care by insisting that
health care modernize itself through electronic records and helping to
spread health savings accounts-- they're particularly good for small
businesses -- and to work with the United States Congress to finally pass
medical liability reform. (Applause.) I look forward to working with the
Congress to create association health plans, so small businesses can buy
insurance, can pool risk across jurisdictional boundaries so they can buy
insurance at the same discount that big businesses can.

As small business owners, you know that a dollar should be spent wisely, or
not at all. That same standard ought to apply to the federal government
when it comes time to spending your money. (Applause.) I've submitted a
disciplined budget to the Congress that meets our priorities, that
restrains federal spending and keeps us on track to cut the deficit in half
by 2009. I appreciate the fact that the Senate has passed a version of the
budget; and the House has passed a version of the budget. Now it's time for
them to together and pass a budget resolution this week.

By restraining federal spending, by keeping taxes low, we'll keep this
economy growing and keep the innovative spirit strong. But in order to make
sure our economy grows, in order to make sure people are still able to find
opportunity, in order to encourage small business sector growth and
vitality, we need to address a major problem facing our country -- and that
is our nation's growing dependence on foreign sources of energy.
(Applause.)

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. And that's
what I want to talk about today. I fully understand that many folks around
this country are concerned about the high price of gasoline. I know small
business owners are.

I went to Fort Hood the other day -- it's right around the corner from
Crawford. (Laughter.) And sat down with some of our troops and we had
dinner -- lunch, in Texas they call dinner (laughter) -- the noon meal, and
supper the evening meal. (Laughter and applause.) I'm trying to standardize
the language. (Laughter.) We sat down for lunch. (Laughter.)

And I was asking the soldiers, you know, what was on your mind -- what was
on their mind. And a fellow said, why don't you lower gas prices --
gasoline prices, Mr. President? Obviously, gasoline prices were on his
mind. I said, I wish I could; if I could, I would. I explained to him that
the higher cost of gasoline is a problem that has been years in the making.
To help in the near-term, we'll continue to encourage oil-producing
countries to maximize their production, to say to countries that have got
some excess capacity, get it on the market so you do not destroy the
consumers that you rely upon to buy your energy.

We're doing everything we can to make sure our consumers are treated
fairly, that there is no price gouging. Yet, the most important thing we
can do today is to address the fundamental problem of our energy situation.
That's the most important thing we can do. And the fundamental problem is
this: Our supply of energy is not growing fast enough to meet the demands
of our growing economy.

Over the past decade our energy consumption has increased by more than 12
percent, while our domestic production has increased by less than one-half
of 1 percent. A growing economy causes us to consume more energy. And, yet,
we're not producing energy here at home, which means we're reliant upon
foreign nations. And at the same time we've become more reliant upon
foreign nations, the global demand for energy is growing faster than the
growing supply. Other people are using more energy, as well. And that's
contributed to a rise in prices.

Because of our foreign energy dependence, our ability to take actions at
home that will lower prices for American families is diminishing. Our
dependence on foreign energy is like a foreign tax on the American people.
It's a tax our citizens pay every day in higher gasoline prices and higher
costs to heat and cool their homes. It's a tax on jobs and it's a tax that
is increasing every year.

The problem is clear. This problem did not develop overnight, and it's not
going to be fixed overnight. But it's now time to fix it. See, we got a
fundamental question we got to face here in America: Do we want to continue
to grow more dependent on other nations to meet our energy needs, or do we
want to do what is necessary to achieve greater control of our economic
destiny?

I made my decision. I know what is important for this country to become
less dependent on foreign sources of energy, and that requires a national
strategy. Now, when I first got elected, I came to Washington and I said,
we need a national strategy. And I submitted a national strategy to the
United States Congress. And it has been stuck. And now it's time for the
Congress to pass the legislation necessary for this country to become less
dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)

And the 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. Think about
this: Just 25 years ago -- for a guy 58 years old, that doesn't seem all
that long ago -- (laughter) -- if you're 24 years old, it's a heck of a
long time ago. (Laughter.) In the 1980s, most Americans used typewriters,
instead of computers. We used pay phones, instead of cell phones. We used
carbon paper, instead of laser printers. We had bank tellers, instead of
ATMs. (Laughter.) We had Rolodexes, instead of PDAs. And for long family
trips, we played the "license plate" game -- (laughter and applause) --
instead of in-car DVDs. (Laughter.) We've seen a lot of change in a quick
period of time, haven't we?

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.
That's why I'm so optimistic about our future here in America.

The first essential step toward greater energy independence is to apply
technology to increase domestic production from existing energy resources.
And one of the most promising sources of energy is nuclear power.
(Applause.) 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. Nuclear power is one of the safest, cleanest sources of power in
the world, and we need more of it here in America.

Unfortunately, America has not ordered a new nuclear power plant since the
1970s. France, by contrast, has built 58 plants in the same period. And
today, France gets more than 78 percent of its electricity from safe, clean
nuclear power.

It's time for America to start building again. That's why, three years ago,
my administration launched the Nuclear Power 2010 Initiative. This is a
seven-year, $1.1 billion effort by government and industry to start
building new nuclear power plants by the end of this decade. One of the
greatest obstacles we face to building new plants is regulatory uncertainty
which discourages new plant construction. Since the 1970s, more than 35
plants were stopped at various stages of planning and construction because
of bureaucratic obstacles. No wonder -- no wonder -- the industry is
hesitant to start building again. We must provide greater certainty to
those who risk capital if we want to expand a safe, clean source of energy
that will make us less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

To do so, I've asked the Department of Energy to work on changes to
existing law that will reduce uncertainty in the nuclear plant licensing
process, and also provide federal risk insurance that will protect those
building the first four new nuclear plants against delays that are beyond
their control. A secure energy future for America must include more nuclear
power. (Applause.)

A secure energy future for America also means building and expanding
American 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. Our demand for gasoline grows, which means we're relying
more on foreign imports of refined product.

To encourage the expansion of existing facilities, the EPA is simplifying
rules and regulations. I will direct federal agencies to work with states
to encourage the building of new refineries -- on closed military
facilities, for example -- and to simplify the permitting process for such
construction. By easing the regulatory burden, we can refine more gasoline
for our citizens here at home. That will help assure supply and reduce
dependence on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
Developing this tiny section of ANWR could eventually yield up to a million
barrels of oil per day. That's a million barrels less that we've depended
on from foreign sources of energy.

Listen, the more oil we can produce in environmentally sensitive ways here
at home, the less dependent our economy is, the less reliant we are on
other -- on other parts of the world. Technology is allowing us to make
better use of natural gas. Natural gas is an important source of energy for
industries like agriculture or manufacturing or power production. The
United States is the sixth-largest proven reserves of natural gas in the
world, and we'll do more to develop this vital resource. That's why I
signed into law a tax credit to encourage a new pipeline to bring Alaskan
natural gas to the rest of the United States. (Applause.)

Technology is also helping us to get at reserves of natural gas that cannot
be reached -- easily reached by pipelines. Today, we're able to super cool
natural gas into liquid form so it can be transported on tankers and stored
more easily. Thanks to this technology, our imports of liquefied natural
gas nearly doubled in 2003. Last year, imports rose another 29 percent. But
our ability to expand our use of liquefied natural gas is limited, because
today we have just five receiving terminals and storage facilities around
the United States.

To take advantage of this new -- this technology, federal agencies must
expedite the review of the 32 proposed new projects that will either expand
or build new liquefied natural gas terminals. In other words, there's
projects on the books, and we're going to get after the review process.
Congress should make it clear to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
its authority to choose sites for new terminals, so we can expand our use
of liquefied natural gas.

Technology also allows us to use our most abundant energy source in a smart
way. America as enough coal to last for 250 years. But coal presents an
environmental challenge. 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. My Clear Skies
initiative will result in more than $52 billion in investment in clean coal
technologies by the private sector. To achieve greater energy dependence,
we must put technology to work so we can harness the power of clean coal.

The second essential step toward greater energy independence is to harness
technology to create new sources of energy. 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.

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. See, I want the children here in America -- you two are sitting there
-- to be able to take your driver's test in a completely pollution-free car
that will make us less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
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. My
budgets have dedicated $35 million over the past three years and will
continue this effort.

In other words, we're developing new technologies that will change the way
we drive. See, I know what we're going to need to do for a generation to
come. 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. My administration is committed to finding those
news ways, and we're working with industry to do so.

Ethanol is another promising source of energy. I like the idea of people
growing corn that gets converted into fuel for cars and trucks. Our farmers
can help us become less dependent on foreign oil. (Applause.) Technology is
now under development that may one day allow us to get ethanol from
agricultural and industrial waste.

We can produce another renewable fuel, bodies, from leftover fats and
vegetable oils. I mean, we're exploring a lot of alternatives. 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. This proposal would require fuel producers to include a certain
percentage of ethanol and biodiesel in their fuel and would increase the
amount of these renewables in our nation's fuel supply. Listen, more corn
means more ethanol, which means less imported oil.

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. (Applause.)

An energy strategy must be comprehensive, all aimed at making us less
dependent. A third essential step toward greater energy independence is to
harness the power of technology so we can continue to become better
conservers of energy. Already, technology is helping us grow our economy
while using less energy. For example, in 1997, the U.S. steel industry used
45 percent less energy to produce a ton of steel than it did in 1975. The
forest and paper industry used 21 percent less energy to produce a ton of
paper. In other words, we're making advances in conservation. And in the
years ahead, if we're smart about what we do, we can become even more
productive while conserving even more 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. Think about this, you can buy a refrigerator that uses the same
amount of power as a 75-watt light bulb. It's a remarkable advance when it
comes to helping consumers save money on energy. Advances in
energy-efficient windows keep hot and cold air in and prevent your dollars
from flowing out. (Laughter.) High efficiency light bulbs last longer than
traditional ones, while requiring less electricity.

These and other technological advances are saving our consumers a lot of
money, and there's more to be done. Let me tell you this, in 2001, the
average American family spent about half as much to heat his home as it did
in 1978. Think about what's possible over the next 25 years. 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.

And as we make our homes more energy efficient, we're doing the same for
our automobiles. Hybrid vehicles are one of the most promising technologies
immediately available to consumers. These cars are powered by a combination
of gasoline and electricity. They provide better fuel efficiency, ultra-low
emissions and exceptional performance. 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. Clean
diesel technology will allow consumers to travel much farther on each
gallon of fuel, without the smoke and pollution of past diesel engines.
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.
(Applause.)

As we conserve energy at home and on the road, technology 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. Some
of you who live in the Midwest and on the East Coast know what I'm talking
about -- damaging power outages. We have modern interstate grids for our
phone lines and our highways. It's time for America to build a modern
electricity grid. (Applause.) The electricity title is an important part of
the energy bill. As a matter of fact, a lot of which I've discussed so far
is an important part of the energy bill that needs to get passed by the
United States Congress before August of this year. (Applause.)

The House acted, and I appreciate the leadership in the House. Now it's
time for the United States Senate to act. And then it's time for them to
get together and iron out their differences and get me a bill so I can
sign.

The fourth essential step toward greater energy independence is to make
sure other nations can take advantage in advances -- take advantage of the
advances in technology to reduce their own demand. Listen, we need to
remember that the market for energy is a global one, and we're not the only
large consumer. Much of the current projected rise in energy prices is due
to rising energy consumption in Asia. As Asian economies grow, their demand
for energy is growing. And the demand for energy is growing faster than the
supply of energy is increasing. And as small business people, you
understand what happens when demand is larger than supply -- you hope
that's the case for the products you produce. (Laughter.) Our costs -- our
prices are going up. It is in our interest to help these countries become
more energy self-sufficient; that will help reduce demand, which will help
take pressure off price, and at the same time help protect the environment.

I'm looking forward to going to a G8 meeting in July in Great Britain. And
there I'm going to work with developed nations, our friends and allies to
help developing nations, countries like China and India to develop and
deploy clean energy technology. Like us, some of these countries have got
substantial coal reserves. We need to find practical ways to help these
countries take advantage of clean coal technology.

As well, we will explore ways we can work with like-minded countries to
develop advance nuclear technologies that are safe, clean and protect
against proliferation. With these technologies, with the expansion of
nuclear power, we can relieve stress on the environment and reduce global
demand for fossil fuels. That would be good for the world, and that would
be good for American consumers, as well. (Applause.)

This strategy will work for our children and our grandchildren. We should
have put this in place several decades ago. We haven't had a national
energy strategy in this country for a long period of time. I tried to get
the Congress to pass it four years ago. Now is the time for them to act.
For the sake of this country, for the sake of a growing economy, and for
the sake of national security, we've got to do what it takes to expand our
independence. We must become less dependent. And there's no doubt in my
mind that technology is going to help us achieve that objective.

One reason why I believe this so strongly is because free societies are
able to adjust to the times. And we're the freest of free societies. We're
a society where it doesn't matter where you were raised or where you're
from; if you've got a dream, you can pursue it and realize your dream.
(Applause.)

Our country has always responded to challenges because we've got people
with such great imaginations and such drive and such determination.
Twenty-five years from now, people are going to look back and say, I like
my hydrogen-powered automobile -- (laughter) -- and I produced a little
extra energy this year from my home. Our farmers are going to be saying,
you know, the crops up, and we're less dependent.

Now is the time to put that strategy in place. Now is the time to do the
right thing for America. Now is the time to set aside political differences
and focus on what is good for the United States of America. And with your
help, we'll achieve that. (Applause.)

God bless you all. Thanks for coming. (Applause.)

END 2:51 P.M. EDT

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