THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
President Clinton's Radio Address to the Nation:
Meeting America's Energy Needs
In The 21st Century
President Clinton, in his weekly radio address, today called on Congress to join him in strengthening America's energy security by fully funding energy programs in his FY 2001 budget and by enacting other key elements of the Administration's long-term energy strategy. The President also urged the Republican leadership to abandon environmentally reckless proposals to drill for oil in pristine Alaska wilderness and on other federal lands.
PRESIDENT CLINTON'S PLAN TO MEET AMERICA'S ENERGY NEEDS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: Ensuring the availability of affordable and environmentally responsible energy is central to maintaining our unparalleled economic growth and prosperity. For seven years, this Administration has consistently pursued a forward-looking and balanced approach to meeting America's energy needs in the 21st century. This strategy supports continued development of traditional energy sources, and aggressive efforts to improve energy efficiency and promote alternative energy sources.
To ease reliance on imported oil, the Administration has invested in new technologies that have significantly enhanced recovery of domestic oil reserves. To promote clean energy alternatives, the Administration has expanded research and development of solar, wind, biomass and other renewable sources. To save energy and money, the Administration has adopted new energy-efficiency standards for appliances and forged new partnerships with industry. These include Energy Star and the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV), which is on track to producing affordable vehicles that get three times the mileage of today's models. And to demonstrate federal leadership, the President has issued Executive Orders directing federal agencies to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and automotive fleets.
THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS HAS FAILED TO ACT TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA'S ENERGY SECURITY: The Republican leadership has failed to act on key elements of the President's long-term energy policy, including: tax incentives to consumers for the purchase of energy-efficient cars, homes and appliances; comprehensive electricity restructuring; and reauthorization of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Over the past seven years, Congress has approved only 12 percent of the increased funding proposed by the President for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Now, the Republican leadership wants to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling -- despoiling one of America's last wild places for a short-term supply of oil. What's more, they are cutting programs critical to meeting our long-term energy needs. For instance: -- The House appropriation of $650 million for Energy Conservation is $201 million less than the President's request, and $71 million below the current year's appropriations. These cuts include:
THE PRESIDENT HAS CALLED ON CONGRESS TO PASS THESE KEY ELEMENTS OF OUR ENERGY STRATEGY: The President calls on Congress to pass the following key components of his Energy Policy:
I. Tax Incentives to Encourage Greater Efficiency, Renewable Energy, and Domestic Oil Production
The Administration has proposed a balanced package of tax incentives to
promote responsible development of traditional energy sources, and, for
three years has proposed tax incentives to promote a wide range of
alternative and renewable energy sources. The President and Vice
President, once again, call on Congress to enact:
-- Tax incentives to support the domestic oil and gas
industries, including the expensing of geological and geophysical
testing and "delay" rental payments;
-- Tax credits to promote wind,
solar, biomass, and other domestic alternative sources of energy;
-- Tax Credits For Electric, Fuel Cell, and Qualified Hybrid Vehicles
($2 billion, five-year package); and,
-- Tax Credits for Efficient Homes and Buildings.
II. Investments in R&D to Improve Energy Efficiency, Make Renewable Energy Affordable, and Promote the Clean Use of Fossil Energy
Increased energy efficiency has significantly enhanced our energy
security by reducing our demand for imported oil. For example, in 1974,
we consumed 15 barrels of oil for each $10,000 of GDP; today we only
consume 8 barrels of oil per unit of GDP. But much more can be done.
The President and Vice President have secured substantial increases to
accelerate the research, development, and deployment of alternative and
more efficient energy technologies. They call on Congress to build on
these efforts by approving the following FY 2001 requests:
-- $1.7 billion for Federal R&D efforts to promote energy efficiency
in buildings, industry, and transportation, and expanded use of
renewable energy and distributed power generation systems, including:
-- $254 million to continue the Partnership for a New Generation of
Vehicles (PNGV), which is on track to deliver affordable cars that get
up to three times the fuel efficiency of today's cars;
-- $289 million, a 47 percent increase, for a bioenergy initiative
that will help us develop new fuels for cars and new sources of
electricity, reducing U.S. oil consumption;
-- $275 million, a 42 percent increase, for R&D investments to develop
technologies to make homes and buildings more energy efficient;
-- $154 million to weatherize low-income homes, reducing energy bills and
the demand for oil, and;
-- An increase for Energy Star product and building partnerships,
to promote the purchase of energy-efficient products and buildings. (If
all consumers purchased Energy Star products and buildings, the
Nation's energy bill could be reduced by $100 billion over the next 15
years);
-- $376 million for fossil energy R&D to enhance domestic oil
exploration and promote clean use of fossil fuels, including $10 million
to continue an Ultra-Clean Fuels Initiative to develop cleaner fuels in
existing refineries;
-- $5 million for research to help safely extend the life of nuclear
power plants; and,
-- $85 million to create a new Clean Air Partnership Fund to help
States and localities reduce pollution and become more energy
efficient.
III. Comprehensive Electricity Restructuring for Reliability and
Savings Enactment of the Administration's proposed comprehensive
legislation will lower electricity prices, clean the environment,
encourage innovation and new services, and increase the reliability of
our Nation's power supply grid. It will also enhance energy security by
enabling us to operate our economy on less fuel. The President and Vice
President's proposed legislation, which Congress has failed to act on
for over two years would:
-- Provide $20 billion in annual savings to America's families,
saving typical family of four $232 per year;
-- Strengthen Reliable Service by requiring all participants in
electric transactions on the grid to comply with mandatory reliability
standards developed by a reliability organization; and,
-- Improve the environment, through both market mechanisms and
policies that promote investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy,
distributed power and combined heat and power technologies.
IV. Preparation for Energy Supply Emergencies Notwithstanding our best
efforts to promote a diverse and secure supply of energy, because of the
location of the world's oil reserves, the fact remains that we import a
sizeable portion of the oil we consume. In order to mitigate that risk,
and to address emergencies created by unusually cold or warm weather,
the Administration supports:
-- Renewed authority to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve;
-- The creation of a Northeast/New England Home Heating Oil Reserve;
and,
-- Full funding of emergency fund in the Low Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
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