President Bush stresses renewable and alternate energy to halt global climate change
Surya B. Prasai
April 19, 2008
Recently President George W. Bush discussed renewable and alternative energy technologies and America´s commitment in developing them at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference. For the past few years, President Bush has been talking on the need to enhance clean energy technology globally, in which the US has made substantial research investments already.
President Bush´s recent and important remarks on April 18 come at a time when significant debates and discussions are taking place in Washington DC and other world capitals on the role of various global agreements, including the Kyoto Protocol, and their implications on halting global climate change.
According to President Bush, "We must all recognize that in the long run, new technologies are the key to addressing climate change. But in the short run, they can be more expensive. And that is why I believe part of any solution means reforming today's complicated mix of incentives to make the commercialization and use of new, lower emission technologies more competitive. Today we have different incentives for different technologies -- from nuclear power, to clean coal, to wind and solar energy. What we need to do is consolidate them into a single, expanded program with the following features."
Outlining various steps the Bush administration considered as important, he stated that first, the incentive should be carbon-weighted to make lower emission power sources less expensive relative to higher emissions sources -- and it should take into account the US´s energy security needs. Second, the incentive should be technology-neutral because the government should not be picking winners and losers in this emerging market. And third, the incentive should be long-lasting. President Bush stated specifically, "It should provide a positive and reliable market signal not only for the investment in a technology, but also for the investments in domestic manufacturing capacity and infrastructure that will help lower costs and scale up availability."
What will be the global impact of these policies within the next two decades? As President Bush noted positively, "If we fully implement our new strong laws, adhere to the principles that I've outlined, and adopt appropriate incentives, we will put America on an ambitious new track for greenhouse gas reductions. The growth in emissions will slow over the next decade, stop by 2025, and begin to reverse thereafter, so long as technology continues to advance."
Earlier on September 28, 2007, while participating in the First Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change President Bush had stated, "Energy security and climate change are two of the great challenges of our time. The United States takes these challenges seriously. The world's response will help shape the future of the global economy and the condition of our environment for future generations. The nations in this room have special responsibilities. We represent the world's major economies, we are major users of energy, and we have the resources and knowledge base to develop clean energy technologies. Our guiding principle is clear: We must lead the world to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and we must do it in a way that does not undermine economic growth or prevent nations from delivering greater prosperity for their people."
The global environment has become an important forerunner not only to US presidential debates but also in shaping public policy related to halting global climate change. At the Bali Summit, everyone had expressed the voice that America must work closely in the global environmental community. But America has already been doing well in several fields related to clean energy research and production. President George Bush´s role in shaping the American environment is significantly bent on achieving progress by treading the path carefully particularly on clean and alternate energy and fuel use. Earlier, despite all the opposition from the developing countries, America did express the feeling at the Bali Climate Change Summit that everyone needs to think creatively and learn from one another's experiences through the Advance of Clean Energy Technologies and developing new, low-emission technologies. The G-8 countries are also fully committed to meet the growing demand for energy while reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The White House strongly believes that even with these strong new incentives, many new technologies face regulatory and political barriers. Therefore, to pave the way for a new generation of nuclear power plants, the US must provide greater certainty on issues from licensing to responsible management of spent fuel. The promise of carbon capture and storage depends on new pipelines and liability rules. Large-scale renewable energy installations are most likely to be built in sparsely populated areas, - which will require advanced, interstate transmission systems to deliver this power to major population centers. As President Bush did state in this context, "If we're serious about confronting climate change, then we have to be serious about addressing these obstacles."
Some of the recent steps the US has taken are considered globally significant. For instance, the United States is increasing renewable fuels by 500% and reducing its dependence on oil requiring fuel producers to supply at least 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel in the year 2022. In December 2007, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, which responded to his "Twenty in Ten" challenge in last year's State of the Union Address to improve vehicle fuel economy and increase alternative fuels. The Vehicle Fuel Economy Mandate has specified a national mandatory fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, which will save billions of gallons of fuel and increase efficiency by 40 percent. The Lighting Efficiency Mandate hopes to phase out the use of incandescent light bulbs by 2014, which will improve lighting efficiency by more than 70 percent by 2020. The Appliance Efficiency Mandate sets over 45 new standards for appliances. The Federal Government Operations Mandate helps reduce the energy consumption of Federal Government facilities 30 percent by 2015. Additionally, all new Federal buildings will be carbon-neutral by 2030. The President is also reducing dependence on oil through the development and use of vehicles that run on different sources of energy.
Since President Bush took office, the US Federal Government has spent more than $12 billion to research, develop, and promote alternative energy sources which will benefit the entire world. In December, President Bush signed into law new loan guarantee authorities to support alternative energy sources. The new authority would allow additional loan guarantees of up to $38.5 billion, of which $18.5 billion in loan guarantees will support construction of new plants and enable nuclear plant owners to reduce their interest costs; $10 billion of loan guarantees will go towards renewable and/or energy efficient systems and manufacturing, and distributed energy generation, transmission, and distribution. This loan guarantee authority also includes $6 billion for coal-based power generation and industrial gasification activities at retrofitted and new facilities that incorporate carbon capture and sequestration or other beneficial uses of carbon; $2 billion for advanced coal gasification; and $2 billion for advanced nuclear facilities for the "front-end" of the nuclear fuel cycle.
Also in another important alternate energy sector, since 2001 ethanol production in the US has quadrupled from 1.6 billion gallons in 2000 to an estimated 6.4 billion gallons in 2007, with the vast majority coming from corn. In 2005, the United States became the world's leading ethanol producer, and last year, the U.S. accounted for nearly half of worldwide ethanol production. As the next step, the US is investing in next generation biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol which is produced from wood chips, switch grass, and other agriculture products. With the President's 2009 Budget, the Department of Energy has dedicated about $1 billion since 2001 to develop technologies that can make cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive.
According to a White House press release, also between 2000 and 2007, the United States' solar energy capacity doubled – and last year, U.S. solar installations grew by more than 32 percent. President Bush has consistently supported an increase in the use of nuclear power as a clean, efficient energy source to meet America's growing needs for electricity. Nuclear power can generate massive amounts of electricity without causing any air pollution or emitting greenhouse gases, and a growing number of experts believe it is an environmentally necessary choice. Last year, the Administration invested more than $300 million in nuclear energy technologies.
Also in various international forums, the US Administration is leading the way toward an international agreement to slow, stop, and eventually reverses the growth of greenhouse gases, encouraging consensus toward commitments by every major economy so as to promote post-2012 arrangements that are global and environmentally effective.
As President Bush stated from the White House in his April 17 speech, "I have put our nation on a path to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of our greenhouse gas emissions. In 2002, I announced our first step: to reduce America's greenhouse gas intensity by 18 percent through 2012. I'm pleased to say that we remain on track to meet this goal even as our economy has grown 17 percent.
However in President Bush´s views, America needs to work on a rational path to address global climate change, it has already pondered the flawed approach of the Kyoto Protocol which was opposed 95 to nothing by the US Senate in 1997. In support of the clean energy alternative based on technology advances and strong new policy, the Bush administration, however is looking beyond 2012 to take the next step. This innovative approach is to slow emissions growth and to work on a national goal to stop the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. This is also part of a broader US launched initiative which the G8 had also embraced calling for a new process that brings together the countries responsible for most of the world's emissions.
The US, in short, is working toward a climate agreement that includes the meaningful participation of every major economy without giving anyone a free ride. The recent climate change meeting in Paris has vindicated the strength of the US position, that it seeks to prove through action, not rhetoric, in fostering positive dialogue with the developing countries and assisting them in developing consensual programs and policies. However this will also depend on how quickly the developing countries work toward the creation of an international clean technology fund that will help finance low-emissions energy projects. As President Bush has emphatically noted in his global climate change speech in Washington, "We'll call on all nations to help spark a global clean energy revolution by agreeing immediately to eliminate trade barriers on clean energy goods and services."
For many years, those who worried about climate change and reversing its effect, and those who worried about energy security were on opposite ends of the debate. But now with President Bush´s innovative leadership commitment to check global climate change issues, everyone shares a common solution: clean energy technology can and must made be made to work across the globe. But achieving universal clean energy use will also require significant investments from all major economies, not just America.
President Bush´s recent and important remarks on April 18 come at a time when significant debates and discussions are taking place in Washington DC and other world capitals on the role of various global agreements, including the Kyoto Protocol, and their implications on halting global climate change.
According to President Bush, "We must all recognize that in the long run, new technologies are the key to addressing climate change. But in the short run, they can be more expensive. And that is why I believe part of any solution means reforming today's complicated mix of incentives to make the commercialization and use of new, lower emission technologies more competitive. Today we have different incentives for different technologies -- from nuclear power, to clean coal, to wind and solar energy. What we need to do is consolidate them into a single, expanded program with the following features."
Outlining various steps the Bush administration considered as important, he stated that first, the incentive should be carbon-weighted to make lower emission power sources less expensive relative to higher emissions sources -- and it should take into account the US´s energy security needs. Second, the incentive should be technology-neutral because the government should not be picking winners and losers in this emerging market. And third, the incentive should be long-lasting. President Bush stated specifically, "It should provide a positive and reliable market signal not only for the investment in a technology, but also for the investments in domestic manufacturing capacity and infrastructure that will help lower costs and scale up availability."
What will be the global impact of these policies within the next two decades? As President Bush noted positively, "If we fully implement our new strong laws, adhere to the principles that I've outlined, and adopt appropriate incentives, we will put America on an ambitious new track for greenhouse gas reductions. The growth in emissions will slow over the next decade, stop by 2025, and begin to reverse thereafter, so long as technology continues to advance."
Earlier on September 28, 2007, while participating in the First Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change President Bush had stated, "Energy security and climate change are two of the great challenges of our time. The United States takes these challenges seriously. The world's response will help shape the future of the global economy and the condition of our environment for future generations. The nations in this room have special responsibilities. We represent the world's major economies, we are major users of energy, and we have the resources and knowledge base to develop clean energy technologies. Our guiding principle is clear: We must lead the world to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and we must do it in a way that does not undermine economic growth or prevent nations from delivering greater prosperity for their people."
The global environment has become an important forerunner not only to US presidential debates but also in shaping public policy related to halting global climate change. At the Bali Summit, everyone had expressed the voice that America must work closely in the global environmental community. But America has already been doing well in several fields related to clean energy research and production. President George Bush´s role in shaping the American environment is significantly bent on achieving progress by treading the path carefully particularly on clean and alternate energy and fuel use. Earlier, despite all the opposition from the developing countries, America did express the feeling at the Bali Climate Change Summit that everyone needs to think creatively and learn from one another's experiences through the Advance of Clean Energy Technologies and developing new, low-emission technologies. The G-8 countries are also fully committed to meet the growing demand for energy while reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The White House strongly believes that even with these strong new incentives, many new technologies face regulatory and political barriers. Therefore, to pave the way for a new generation of nuclear power plants, the US must provide greater certainty on issues from licensing to responsible management of spent fuel. The promise of carbon capture and storage depends on new pipelines and liability rules. Large-scale renewable energy installations are most likely to be built in sparsely populated areas, - which will require advanced, interstate transmission systems to deliver this power to major population centers. As President Bush did state in this context, "If we're serious about confronting climate change, then we have to be serious about addressing these obstacles."
Some of the recent steps the US has taken are considered globally significant. For instance, the United States is increasing renewable fuels by 500% and reducing its dependence on oil requiring fuel producers to supply at least 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel in the year 2022. In December 2007, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, which responded to his "Twenty in Ten" challenge in last year's State of the Union Address to improve vehicle fuel economy and increase alternative fuels. The Vehicle Fuel Economy Mandate has specified a national mandatory fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, which will save billions of gallons of fuel and increase efficiency by 40 percent. The Lighting Efficiency Mandate hopes to phase out the use of incandescent light bulbs by 2014, which will improve lighting efficiency by more than 70 percent by 2020. The Appliance Efficiency Mandate sets over 45 new standards for appliances. The Federal Government Operations Mandate helps reduce the energy consumption of Federal Government facilities 30 percent by 2015. Additionally, all new Federal buildings will be carbon-neutral by 2030. The President is also reducing dependence on oil through the development and use of vehicles that run on different sources of energy.
Since President Bush took office, the US Federal Government has spent more than $12 billion to research, develop, and promote alternative energy sources which will benefit the entire world. In December, President Bush signed into law new loan guarantee authorities to support alternative energy sources. The new authority would allow additional loan guarantees of up to $38.5 billion, of which $18.5 billion in loan guarantees will support construction of new plants and enable nuclear plant owners to reduce their interest costs; $10 billion of loan guarantees will go towards renewable and/or energy efficient systems and manufacturing, and distributed energy generation, transmission, and distribution. This loan guarantee authority also includes $6 billion for coal-based power generation and industrial gasification activities at retrofitted and new facilities that incorporate carbon capture and sequestration or other beneficial uses of carbon; $2 billion for advanced coal gasification; and $2 billion for advanced nuclear facilities for the "front-end" of the nuclear fuel cycle.
Also in another important alternate energy sector, since 2001 ethanol production in the US has quadrupled from 1.6 billion gallons in 2000 to an estimated 6.4 billion gallons in 2007, with the vast majority coming from corn. In 2005, the United States became the world's leading ethanol producer, and last year, the U.S. accounted for nearly half of worldwide ethanol production. As the next step, the US is investing in next generation biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol which is produced from wood chips, switch grass, and other agriculture products. With the President's 2009 Budget, the Department of Energy has dedicated about $1 billion since 2001 to develop technologies that can make cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive.
According to a White House press release, also between 2000 and 2007, the United States' solar energy capacity doubled – and last year, U.S. solar installations grew by more than 32 percent. President Bush has consistently supported an increase in the use of nuclear power as a clean, efficient energy source to meet America's growing needs for electricity. Nuclear power can generate massive amounts of electricity without causing any air pollution or emitting greenhouse gases, and a growing number of experts believe it is an environmentally necessary choice. Last year, the Administration invested more than $300 million in nuclear energy technologies.
Also in various international forums, the US Administration is leading the way toward an international agreement to slow, stop, and eventually reverses the growth of greenhouse gases, encouraging consensus toward commitments by every major economy so as to promote post-2012 arrangements that are global and environmentally effective.
As President Bush stated from the White House in his April 17 speech, "I have put our nation on a path to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of our greenhouse gas emissions. In 2002, I announced our first step: to reduce America's greenhouse gas intensity by 18 percent through 2012. I'm pleased to say that we remain on track to meet this goal even as our economy has grown 17 percent.
However in President Bush´s views, America needs to work on a rational path to address global climate change, it has already pondered the flawed approach of the Kyoto Protocol which was opposed 95 to nothing by the US Senate in 1997. In support of the clean energy alternative based on technology advances and strong new policy, the Bush administration, however is looking beyond 2012 to take the next step. This innovative approach is to slow emissions growth and to work on a national goal to stop the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. This is also part of a broader US launched initiative which the G8 had also embraced calling for a new process that brings together the countries responsible for most of the world's emissions.
The US, in short, is working toward a climate agreement that includes the meaningful participation of every major economy without giving anyone a free ride. The recent climate change meeting in Paris has vindicated the strength of the US position, that it seeks to prove through action, not rhetoric, in fostering positive dialogue with the developing countries and assisting them in developing consensual programs and policies. However this will also depend on how quickly the developing countries work toward the creation of an international clean technology fund that will help finance low-emissions energy projects. As President Bush has emphatically noted in his global climate change speech in Washington, "We'll call on all nations to help spark a global clean energy revolution by agreeing immediately to eliminate trade barriers on clean energy goods and services."
For many years, those who worried about climate change and reversing its effect, and those who worried about energy security were on opposite ends of the debate. But now with President Bush´s innovative leadership commitment to check global climate change issues, everyone shares a common solution: clean energy technology can and must made be made to work across the globe. But achieving universal clean energy use will also require significant investments from all major economies, not just America.