Radio Address by President Bush to the Nation Addresses Energy

Radio Address by President Bush to the Nation

http://www.whitehouse.gov

WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a transcript of a
radio address by President Bush to the nation:

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. American families and small businesses
across the country are feeling the pinch from rising gas prices. If you're
trying to meet a family budget or a payroll, even a small change at the pump
can have a big impact.
America's prosperity depends on reliable, affordable and secure sources of
energy. And today our energy needs are growing faster than our domestic
sources are able to provide. Demand for electricity has grown more than 17
percent in the past decade, while our transmission ability lags behind. And
we continue to import more than one-half of our domestic oil supply.
In the coming days and weeks I'll talk more about what we need to do in
Washington to make sure America has an energy policy that reflects the demands
of a new century. The first order of business is for Congress to pass an
energy bill. Next week Congress begins debate on energy legislation and they
need to send me a bill that meets four important objectives:

First, the energy bill must encourage the use of technology to improve
conservation. We must find smarter ways to meet our energy needs, and we must
encourage Americans to make better choices about energy consumption. We must
also continue to invest in research, so we will develop the technologies that
would allow us to conserve more and be better stewards of the environment.
Second, the energy bill must encourage more production at home in
environmentally sensitive ways. Over the past three years, America's energy
consumption has increased by about 4 percent, while our domestic energy
production has decreased by about 1 percent. That means more of our energy is
coming from abroad. To meet our energy needs and strengthen our national
security we must make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
Third, the energy bill must diversify our energy supply by developing
alternative sources of energy like ethanol or biodiesel. We need to promote
safe, clean nuclear power. And to create more energy choices, Congress should
provide tax credits for renewable power sources such as wind, solar, and
landfill gas. We must also continue our clean coal technology projects so
that we can use the plentiful source of coal in an environmentally friendly
way. The bill must also support pollution-free cars and trucks, powered by
hydrogen fuel cells instead of gasoline.
Finally, the energy bill must help us find better, more reliable ways to
deliver energy to consumers. In some parts of the country, our transmission
lines and pipelines are decades older than the homes and businesses they
supply. Many of them are increasingly vulnerable to events that can interrupt
and shut down power in entire regions of the country. We must modernize our
infrastructure to make America's energy more secure and reliable.
Every source of power that we use today started with the power of human
invention, and those sources have served us well for decades. Now it's time
to apply our knowledge and technology to keep the American Dream alive in this
new century. There is nothing America cannot achieve when we put our mind to
it. And I urge Congress to work out its differences and pass an energy bill
that will help make America safer and more prosperous for the years to come.
Thank you for listening.

END


SOURCE White House Press Office
Web Site: http://www.whitehouse.gov