State Of The Union: The Advanced Energy Initiative

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- In His State Of The Union Address,President Bush Outlined The Advanced Energy Initiative To Help Break America'sDependence On Foreign Sources Of Energy. The President has set a nationalgoal of replacing more than 75% of our oil imports from the Middle East by2025. With America on the verge of breakthroughs in advanced energytechnologies, the best way to break the addiction to foreign oil is throughnew technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10 billion to developcleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative energy sources. Tonight, thePresident announced the Advanced Energy Initiative, which provides for a 22%increase in clean-energy research at the Department of Energy (DOE). TheInitiative will accelerate our breakthroughs in two vital areas; how we powerour homes and businesses; and how we power our automobiles. Changing The Way We Power Our Homes And Businesses The Administration Will Work To Diversify Energy Sources For AmericanHomes And Businesses. Accelerating research in clean coal technologies, cleanand safe nuclear energy, and revolutionary solar and wind technologies willreduce overall demand for natural gas and lead to lower energy costs. ThePresident's Advanced Energy Initiative proposes speeding up research in threepromising areas: -- The President's Coal Research Initiative. Coal provides more than halfof the Nation's electricity supply, and America has enough coal to last morethan 200 years. As part of the National Energy Policy, the Presidentcommitted $2 billion over 10 years to speed up research in the use of cleancoal technologies to generate electricity while meeting environmentalregulations at low cost. To tap the potential of America's enormous coalreserves, the President's 2007 Budget includes $281 million for development ofclean coal technologies, nearly completing the President's commitment 4 yearsahead of schedule. -- The President's 2007 Budget Includes $54 Million For The FutureGenInitiative. The FutureGen initiative is a partnership between government andthe private sector to develop innovative technologies for an emissions-freecoal plant that captures the carbon dioxide it produces and stores it in deepgeologic formations. -- The President's Solar America Initiative. The 2007 Budget will proposea new $148 million Solar America Initiative - an increase of $65 million overFY06 - to accelerate the development of semiconductor materials that convertsunlight directly to electricity. These solar photovoltaic "PV" cells can beused to deliver energy services to rural areas and can be incorporateddirectly into building materials, so that there can be future "zero energy"homes that produce more energy than they consume. -- Expanding Clean Energy from Wind. The 2007 Budget includes $44 millionfor wind energy research - a $5 million increase over FY06 levels. This willhelp improve the efficiency and lower the costs of new wind technologies foruse in low-speed wind environments. Combined with ongoing efforts to expandaccess to Federal lands for wind energy development, this new funding willhelp dramatically increase the use of wind energy in the United States. Changing The Way We Power Our Automobiles We Are On The Verge Of Dramatic Improvements In How We Power OurAutomobiles, And The President's Initiative Will Bring Those Improvements ToThe Forefront. The United States must move beyond a petroleum-based economyand develop new ways to power automobiles. The President wants to acceleratethe development of domestic, renewable alternatives to gasoline and dieselfuels. The Administration will accelerate research in cutting-edge methods ofproducing "cellulosic ethanol" with the goal of making the use of such ethanolpractical and competitive within 6 years. The Administration will also stepup the Nation's research in better batteries for use in hybrid and electriccars and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. -- The Biorefinery Initiative. To achieve greater use of "homegrown"renewable fuels in the United States, advanced technologies need to beperfected to make fuel ethanol from cellulosic (plant fiber) biomass, which isnow discarded as waste. The President's 2007 Budget will include $150 million- a $59 million increase over FY06 - to help develop bio-based transportationfuels from agricultural waste products, such as wood chips, stalks, or switchgrass. Research scientists say that accelerating research into "cellulosicethanol" can make it cost-competitive by 2012, offering the potential todisplace up to 30% of the Nation's current fuel use. -- Developing More Efficient Vehicles. Current hybrids on the road run ona battery developed at the DOE. The President's plan would accelerateresearch in the next generation of battery technology for hybrid vehicles and"plug-in hybrids." Current hybrids can only use the gasoline engine to chargethe on-board battery. A "plug-in" hybrid can run either on electricity or ongasoline and can be plugged into the wall at night to recharge its batteries.These vehicles will enable drivers to meet most of their urban commuting needswith virtually no gasoline use. Advanced battery technologies offer thepotential to significantly reduce oil consumption in the near-term. The 2007Budget includes $30 million - a $6.7 million increase over FY06 - to speed upthe development of this battery technology and extend the range of thesevehicles. -- The Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. In his 2003 State of the Union address,President Bush announced a $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative to developtechnology for commercially viable hydrogen-powered fuel cells, which wouldpower cars, trucks, homes, and businesses with no pollution or greenhousegases. Through private-sector partnerships, the Initiative and relatedFreedomCAR programs will make it practical and cost-effective for Americans touse clean, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2020. The President's 2007 Budgetwill provide $289 million - an increase of $53 million over FY06 - toaccelerate the development of hydrogen fuel cells and affordable hydrogen-powered cars. Through the President's program, the cost of a hydrogen fuelcell has been cut by more than 50% in just four years. -- America Must Act Now To Reduce Dependence On Foreign Sources Of Energy.There are an estimated 250 million vehicles on America's highways, andAmericans will purchase more than 17 million vehicles this year. It will takeapproximately 15 years to switch America's automobiles over to more fuelefficient technologies. The sooner breakthroughs are achieved, the better forAmerica. The President's Advanced Energy Initiative Will Build On The Progress Made Since 2001 Since 2001, The Administration Has Worked To Ensure Affordable, Reliable,Secure, And Clean Sources Of Energy. In 2001, the President put forward hisNational Energy Policy, which included over 100 recommendations to increasedomestic energy supplies, encourage efficiency and conservation, invest inenergy-related infrastructure, and develop alternative and renewable sourcesof energy. Over the past four years, the Administration has worked toimplement these recommendations and improve the Nation's energy outlook. Last Summer, The President Signed The First Comprehensive EnergyLegislation In Over A Decade. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is strengtheningAmerica's electrical infrastructure, reducing the country's dependence onforeign sources of energy, increasing conservation, and expanding the use ofclean renewable energy.
SOURCE White House Press OfficeWeb Site: http://www.whitehouse.gov