Text 960, 452 rader
Skriven 2005-05-16 23:39:06 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050516) for Mon, 2005 May 16
===================================================
===========================================================================
President Discusses Biodiesel and Alternative Fuel Sources
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 16, 2005

President Discusses Biodiesel and Alternative Fuel Sources
Virginia BioDiesel Refinery
West Point, Virginia


˙˙˙˙˙In Focus: Energy

11:25 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Please be seated. Thanks for
coming. Thanks for the warm welcome, and thank you for giving me a chance
to get out of Washington. (Laughter.) I'm proud to be the first sitting
President to visit this part of Virginia. (Applause.) They tell me George
Washington came -- (laughter) -- before he was President. I thought it was
time for another George W. to stop by. (Applause.)

I appreciate the folks here at Virginia BioDiesel for showing me around.
You know, I love the innovative spirit of our entrepreneurs in this
country. And the folks here have got incredible vision and they're willing
to take risk to innovate. What I think is interesting is they have combined
farming and modern science, and by doing so, you're using one of the
world's oldest industries to power some of the world's newest technologies.
After all, they're taking soybeans and converting it to fuel and putting it
into brand-new Caterpillar engines. (Applause.)

Biodiesel is one of our nation's most promising alternative fuel sources.
And by developing biodiesel, you're making this country less dependent on
foreign sources of oil. (Applause.) As my friend, George Allen said, that's
the reason I have come. I want to talk about the need for this country to
have a comprehensive energy strategy. I appreciate George's leadership, and
I appreciate his friendship. You've got a fine United States Senator in
Senator George Allen. (Applause.)

And today I took a helicopter down from the White House with our Secretary
of Agriculture, Mike Johanns. Mike, thank you for coming. Mike is from the
state of Nebraska. (Applause.) For those of you involved with agriculture,
he knows something about it, you'll be happy to hear. He was raised on a
dairy farm. He's a good man, and I really appreciate he and his lovely
wife. He was the governor of Nebraska when I called him; he quit and he
came to Washington. And I want to thank you for serving our country,
Michael. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

I want to thank the members of the congressional delegation who have joined
us -- Congressman Bobby Scott, Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis, Congressman Eric
Cantor, Congressman Randy Forbes, Congresswoman Thelma Drake. She brought
her husband, Ted, with her. Thank you all for serving. I enjoy working with
you all. (Applause.)

I want to thank a member of the statehouse who is here, State Senator
Walter Stosch is with us today -- Walter, thank you for coming. The Mayor
is here from the city of West Point, Andy Conklin. I want to thank you, Mr.
Mayor, for joining us. I like to tell mayors -- they never ask for my
advice, I give it anyway when I see them -- and that is fill the potholes.
(Laughter and applause.)

I want to thank the Administrator John Budesky for joining us. I want to
thank all the state and local officials. I want to thank you all for
coming, as well. It's such a beautiful day to be outside, isn't it?

I want to thank Douglas Faulkner, who is the managing member of the
Virginia BioDiesel Refinery. Thank you, Douglas, for -- there he is right
there. (Applause.) Douglas has brought a lot of his family here. He brought
his father Norman, and brother Norman -- the Norman boys. (Laughter.) Thank
Allen Schaeffer, as well. And I want to thank the folks who lent the
equipment for this event.

One of the things that is really important for government is to make sure
that the environment is such that the entrepreneurial spirit remains
strong. Ever since I've been elected, I tell people that the role of
government is not to try to create wealth, but an environment in which
people are willing to take risks. That's the role of government. And across
our nation, small businesses like Virginia BioDiesel are taking risks and
are developing innovative products. As a matter of fact, small businesses
create most of the new jobs in America. I don't know if you know that or
not, but 70 percent of new jobs in this country are created by small
businesses and entrepreneurs. And I'm pleased to report that the small
business sector of America is strong today. As a matter of fact, over the
last two years we have added 3.5 million new jobs. More Americans are
working today than ever in our nation's history. (Applause.)

The national unemployment rate is down to 5.2 percent. That's below the
average rate of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. And the unemployment rate in
the great Commonwealth of Virginia is 3.3 percent. (Applause.) And over the
next years, we've got to continue to build on this progress. To make sure
our families are strong and businesses are strong, and our farmers can stay
in business, we have got to keep taxes low -- and we will. (Applause.) As a
matter of fact, for the sake of our family farmers and for the sake of our
entrepreneurs, we'll make sure the death tax stays on the path to
extinction. (Applause.) We'll continue to cut needless regulations, and I'm
going to continue to work with Congress to stop the spread of junk
lawsuits. (Applause.)

We're going to be wise with your money. We've got a simple motto in my
office, when it comes to spending your money. One, we understand it's your
money, and not the government's money. And secondly, we're going to work to
ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely, or not at all.
(Applause.) We'll continue to open up foreign markets to America's crops
and products, and ensure a level playing field for American farmers and
producers and workers.

And to guarantee Americans have a secure and dignified retirement -- if
you're getting your check, you don't have anything to worry about on this
issue. You need to worry about your children and your grandchildren when it
comes to Social Security. To make sure we have a retirement system that
works for a future generation of Americans, Congress must work with me to
strengthen and save Social Security for a generation to come. (Applause.)

And to keep creating jobs and to keep this economy growing, it is important
for our country to understand we need an affordable, reliable supply of
energy. And that starts with pursuing policies to make prices reasonable at
the pump. Today's gasoline prices and diesel prices are making it harder
for our families to meet their budgets. These prices are making it more
expensive for farmers to produce their crop, more difficult for businesses
to create jobs.

Americans are concerned about high prices at the pump, and they're really
concerned as they start making their travel plans, and I understand that. I
wish I could just wave a magic wand and lower the price at the pump; I'd do
that. That's not how it works. You see, the high prices we face today have
been decades in the making. Four years ago I laid out a comprehensive
energy strategy to address our energy challenges. Yet Congress hasn't
passed energy legislation. For the sake of the American consumers, it is
time to confront our problems now, and not pass them on to future
Congresses and future generations.

The increase in the price of crude oil is largely responsible for the
higher gas prices and diesel prices that you're paying at the pump. For
many years, most of the crude oil refined into gasoline in America came
from home, came from domestic oil fields. In 1985, 75 percent of the crude
oil used in U.S. refineries came from American sources; only about 25
percent came from abroad. Over the past few decades we've seen a dramatic
change in our energy equation. American gasoline consumption has increased
by about a third, while our crude production has dropped and oil imports
have risen dramatically.

The result today -- the result is that today only 35 percent -- only 35
percent -- of the crude oil used in U.S. refineries comes from here at
home; 65 percent comes from foreign countries, like Saudi Arabia and Mexico
and Canada and Venezuela. You see, we're growing more dependent on foreign
oil. Because we haven't had an energy strategy, we're becoming more
dependent on countries outside our borders to provide us with the energy
needed to refine gasoline. To compound the problem, countries with rapidly
growing economies, like India and China, are competing for more of the
world oil supply. And that drives up the price of oil, and that makes
prices at the pump even higher for American families and businesses and
farmers.

Our dependence on foreign oil is like a foreign tax on the American Dream,
and that tax is growing every year. My administration is doing all we can
to help ease the problem in the short run. We're encouraging oil-producing
countries to maximize their production so that more crude oil is on the
market, which will help take the pressure off price. We'll make sure that
consumers here at home are treated fairly, there's not going to be any
price-gouging here in America. But to solve the problem in the long run, we
must address the root causes of high gasoline prices. We need to take four
steps toward one vital goal, and that is to make America less dependent on
foreign sources of oil. (Applause.)

We must be better conservers. We must produce and refine more crude oil
here in America. We must help countries like India and China to reduce
their demand for crude oil. And we've got to develop new fuels like
biodiesel and ethanol as alternatives to diesel and gasoline. (Applause.)

Americans have been waiting long enough for a strategy. It is time to
deliver an effective, common-sense energy strategy for the 21st strategy.
And that's what I want to talk to you about today. The first step toward
making America less dependent on foreign oil is to improve fuel
conservation and efficiency. My administration is leading research into new
technologies that reduce gas consumption while maintaining performance,
such as lightweight auto parts and more efficient batteries.

We're raising fuel economy standards for sport utility vehicles and vans
and pickup trucks, starting with model year 2005. When these reasonable
increases in mileage standards take full effect, they will save American
drivers about 340,000 barrels of gasoline a day. That's more gas than you
consume every day in the entire state of Virginia.

To improve fuel efficiency, we're also taking advantage of more efficient
engine technologies. Hybrid vehicles are powered by a combination of
internal combustion engine and an electric motor. Hybrid cars and trucks
can travel twice as far on a gallon of fuel as gasoline-only vehicles. And
they produce lower emissions.

To help more consumers conserve gas and protect the environment, my budget
next year proposes that every American who purchases a hybrid vehicle
receive a tax credit of up to $4,000. (Applause.)

Diesel engine technology has also progressed dramatically in the past few
decades. Many Americans remember the diesel cars of the 1970s -- they made
a lot of noise and they spewed a lot of black smoke. Advances in technology
and new rules issued by my administration have allowed us to leave those
days of diesel behind. Our clean diesel rules will reduce air pollution
from diesel engines by about 90 percent, and reduce the sulfur content of
diesel fuel by more than 95 percent.

Today I saw a diesel-powered truck that can get up to 30 percent better
fuel economy than gasoline-powered vehicles, without the harmful emissions
of past diesels. I mean, the fellow got in the truck and cranked it up, and
another man got on the ladder, and he put the white handkerchief by the
emissions port, and the white handkerchief remained white. In other words,
technology is changing the world. Our engines are becoming cleaner.

Consumers around the world are taking advantage of clean diesel technology.
About half of newly registered passenger cars in Western Europe are now
equipped with diesel engines. Yet in America, fewer than 1 percent of the
cars on the road use diesel. According to the Department of Energy, if
diesel vehicles made up 20 percent of our fleet in 15 years, we would save
350,000 barrels of oil a day. That's about a quarter of what we import
every day from Venezuela.

To help more Americans benefit from a new generation of diesel technology,
I have proposed making owners of clean diesel vehicles eligible for the
same tax credit as owners of hybrid vehicles. America leads the world in
technology. We need to use that technology to lead the world in fuel
efficiency. (Applause.)

The second step toward making America less dependent on foreign oil is to
produce and refine more crude oil here at home, in environmentally
sensitive ways. By far the most promising site for oil in America is the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. I want you all to hear the facts
about what we're talking about. Technology now makes it possible to reach
the oil reserves in ANWR by drilling on just 2,000 acres of the 19 million
acres. Technology has advanced to the point where you can take a small
portion -- 2,000 acres -- of this vast track of land and explore for oil in
an environmentally sensitive way.

As a matter of fact, developing this tiny area could yield up to about a
million barrels of oil a day. And thanks to technology, we can reach that
oil with almost no impact on land or wildlife. To make this country less
dependent on foreign -- foreign oil, Congress needs to authorize
pro-growth, pro-job, pro-environment exploration of ANWR. (Applause.)

As we produce more of our own oil, we need to improve our ability to refine
it into gasoline. There has not been a single new refinery built in America
since 1976. Here in Virginia, you have only one oil refinery, the Yorktown
refinery. And that was built in the 1950s. To meet our growing demand for
gasoline, America now imports more than a million barrels of fully refined
gasoline every day. That means about one of every nine gallons of gas you
get in your pump is refined in a foreign country. To help secure our
gasoline supply and lower prices at the pump, we need to encourage existing
refineries like Yorktown to expand their capacity. So the Environmental
Protection Agency is simplifying rules and regulations for refinery
expansion. And they will do so and maintain strict environmental safeguards
at the same time.

We also need to build new refineries. So I've directed federal agencies to
work with states to encourage the construction of new refineries on closed
military facilities, and to simplify the permitting process for these new
refineries. By promoting reasonable regulations, we can refine more
gasoline for more American consumers. And that means we're less dependent
on foreign sources of energy.

The third step toward making America less dependent on foreign oil is to
ensure that other nations use technology to reduce their own demand for
crude oil. It's in our interest -- it's in our economic interest and our
national interest to help countries like India and China become more
efficient users of oil, because that would help take the pressure off
global oil supply, take the pressure off prices here at home. At the G8
meeting in July, I'm going to ask other world leaders to join America in
helping developing countries find practical ways to use clean energy
technology, to be more efficient about how they use energy. You see, when
the global demand for oil is lower, Americans will be better off at the gas
pump.

The final step toward making America less dependent on foreign oil is to
develop new alternatives to gasoline and diesel. Here at Virginia
BioDiesel, you are using Virginia soybean oil to produce a clean-burning
fuel. Other biodiesel refiners are making fuel from waste products like
recycled cooking grease. Biodiesel can be used in any vehicle that runs on
regular diesel, and delivers critical environmental and economic benefits.

Biodiesel burns more completely and produces less air pollution than
gasoline or regular diesel. Biodiesel also reduces engine wear, and
produces almost no sulfur emissions, which makes it a good choice for
cities and states working to meet strict air quality standards. And every
time we use home-grown biodiesel, we support American farmers, not foreign
oil producers. (Applause.)

More Americans are realizing the benefits of biodiesel every year. In 1999,
biodiesel producers sold about 500,000 gallons of fuel for the year. Last
year, biodiesel sales totaled 30 million gallons. That's a sixtyfold
increase in five years. (Applause.) More than 500 operators of major
vehicle fleets now use biodiesel, including the Department of Defense and
the National Park Service and James Madison University. The County of
Arlington, Virginia, has converted its fleet of school buses to biodiesel.
And Harrisonburg is using biodiesel in its city transit buses.

In the past three years, more than 300 public fueling stations have started
offering biodiesel. You're beginning to see a new industry evolve.
(Applause.) And as more Americans choose biodiesel over petroleum fuel,
they can be proud in knowing they're helping to make this country less
dependent on foreign oil. (Applause.)

Another important alternative fuel is ethanol. Ethanol comes from corn, and
it can be mixed with gasoline to produce a clean, efficient fuel. In low
concentrations, ethanol can be used in any vehicle. And with minor
modifications, vehicles can run on fuel blend that includes 85 percent
ethanol and only 15 percent gasoline.

Like biodiesel, ethanol helps communities to meet clean air standards,
farmers to find new markets for their products, and America to replace
foreign crude oil with a renewable source grown right here in the nation's
heartland. (Applause.) Together, ethanol and biodiesel present a tremendous
opportunity to diversify our supply of fuel for cars and buses and trucks
and heavy-duty vehicles.

A recent study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory projected that biofuels,
such as ethanol and biodiesel, could provide about a fifth of America's
transportation fuel within 25 years. And that would be good for our kids
and our grandkids. (Applause.) So there are some things we can do to bring
that prospect closer to reality. We have extended federal tax credits for
ethanol through 2007, and last year I signed into law a 50-cent-per-gallon
tax credit for producers of biodiesel. (Applause.)

There's ways government can help. Congress needs to get me a bill that
continues to help diversify away from crude oil. (Applause.) My
administration supports a flexible, cost-effective renewable fuel standard.
Its proposal would require fuel producers to include a certain percentage
of ethanol and biodiesel in their fuel. And to expand the potential of
ethanol and biodiesel even more, I proposed $84 million in my 2006 budget
for ongoing research. (Applause.) I think it makes sense. I think it's a
good use of taxpayers' money to continue to stay on the leading edge of
change. And in this case, by staying on the leading edge of change, we
become less dependent on foreign sources of oil. (Applause.)

My administration is also supporting another of America's most promising
alternative fuels -- hydrogen. When hydrogen is used in a fuel cell, it can
power a car that requires no gas and emit pure water instead of exhaust
fumes. We've already dedicated $1.2 billion to hydrogen fuel cell research.
I've asked Congress for an additional $500 million over five years to get
hydrogen cars into the dealership lot. With a bold investment now, we can
replace a hydrocarbon economy with a hydrogen economy, and make possible
for today's children to take their driver's test in a completely
pollution-free car. (Applause.)

As we make America less dependent on foreign oil, we're pursuing a
comprehensive strategy to address other energy challenges facing our
nation. Along with high gas prices, many families and small businesses are
confronting rising electricity bills. Summer air-conditioning costs are
going to make it even more expensive for our homes and office buildings. To
help consumers save on their power bills, we'll continue expanding efforts
to conserve electricity. We're funding research into energy-efficient
technologies for our homes, such as highly-efficient windows and
appliances.

To ensure the electricity is delivered efficiently, Congress must make
reliability standards for electric utilities mandatory, not optional.
(Applause.) We've got modern interstate grids for our phone lines and
highways. It is time to put practical law in place so we can have modern
electricity grids, as well. (Applause.) All this modernization of our
electricity grid is contained in the electricity title in the energy bill I
submitted to the United States Congress.

To power our growing economy, we also need to generate more electricity.
Electricity comes from three principal sources -- coal and natural gas and
nuclear power. To ensure that electricity is affordable and reliable,
America must improve our use of all three. Coal is our nation's most
abundant energy resource, and it provides about half of your electricity
here in Virginia. As a matter of fact, we got coal reserves that will last
us for 250 more years. But coal presents an environmental challenge. We
know that. So I've asked Congress to provide more than $2 billion over 10
years for a coal research initiative, a program that will promote new
technologies to remove virtually all pollutants from coal-fired power
plants.

My Clear Skies Initiative will also result in tens of billions of dollars
in clean coal investments by private companies. It will help communities
across the state meet stricter air quality standards. To help Virginia
clean your air and keep your coal, Congress needs to get the Clear Skills
bill to my desk this year. (Applause.)

Improving our electricity supply also means making better use of natural
gas. It's an important power source for our farmers and manufacturers and
homeowners. We need to increase environmentally responsible production of
natural gas from federal lands. To further increase our natural gas supply,
Congress needs to make clear federal authority to choose sites for new
receiving terminals for liquified natural gas. In other words, we're
getting a lot of natural gas from overseas that gets liquified, and we got
to be able to de-liquify it so we can get it into your homes. And we need
more terminals, and Congress needs to give us the authority to site those
terminals in order to get you more natural gas. (Applause.)

I don't know if you realize this, but here in Virginia, you get about a
third of your electricity from nuclear energy. Yet America has not ordered
a 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 nuclear power. In order to make sure you get
electricity at reasonable prices, and in order to make sure our air remains
clean, it is time for us to start building some nuclear power plants in
America. (Applause.)

Technology has made it so I can say to you I am confident we can build safe
nuclear power plants for you. Last month I directed the Department of
Energy to work with Congress to reduce uncertainty in the nuclear power
plant licensing process. We're also working to provide other incentives to
encourage new plant construction, such as federal insurance to protect the
builders of the first four new plants against lawsuits and bureaucratic
obstacles and other delays beyond their control. A secure energy future for
this country must include safe and clean nuclear power.

Many of the initiatives I've discussed today -- and I recognize this is a
comprehensive plan, but that's what we need in America; we need a
comprehensive plan. And many of these initiatives are contained in the
energy bill before the Congress. I want to thank the House for passing the
energy bill last month. And now it's time for the United States Senate to
act. (Applause.) You don't have to worry about George Allen. He'll take the
lead. (Applause.)

For the past four years, Americans have seen the cost of delaying a
national energy policy. You've seen firsthand what it means when the
nation's capital gets locked down with too much politics and not enough
action on behalf of the American people. You've seen it through rising
power bills; you've seen it through blackouts and high prices at the pump.
Four years of debate is enough. It is time for the House and the Senate to
come together and to get a good energy bill to my desk by August, and I'll
sign it into law. (Applause.)

I've set big goals for our nation's energy policy, and I am confident our
nation can meet those goals. Americans have a long history of overcoming
problems through determination and through technology. Not long ago the
prospect of running a car on fuel made from soybean oil seemed pretty
unlikely. I imagine 30 years ago a politician saying, vote for me and I'll
see to it that your car can run on soybean oil, wouldn't get very far.
(Laughter.) Here we are, standing in front of a refinery that makes it.
(Applause.)

We've got a lot of innovators in America, just like the folks here at
Virginia BioDiesel. No doubt in my mind the innovative spirit of this
country is going to make certain that our children and grandchildren will
grow up in a more secure America, an America less dependent on foreign
sources of oil. And the first place to start is for the United States
Congress to pass that bill, based upon a comprehensive strategy that's
going to work on behalf of this country.

I want to thank you for giving me a chance to come and share my thoughts
with you. God bless you all. (Applause.)

END 11:59 A.M. EDT

===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050516.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)