[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 14, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H5451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL ENERGY STRATEGY--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF 
                           THE UNITED STATES

  The Speaker pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States; which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, without objection, referred to the 
Committee on Commerce:

To the Congress of the United States:
  I am pleased to transmit the Comprehensive National Energy Strategy 
(Strategy) to the Congress. This report required by section 801 of the 
Department of Energy Organization Act (Public Law 95-91; 42 U.S.C. 
7321(b)), highlights our national energy policy. It contains specific 
objectives and plans for meeting five essential, common sense goals 
enumerated in the accompanying message from Secretary Pena.
  Energy is a global commodity of strategic importance. It is also a 
key contributor to our economic performance, and its production and use 
affect the environment in many ways. Thus, affordable, adequate, and 
environmentally benign supplies of energy are critical to our Nation's 
economic, environmental, and national security.
  The Strategy reflects the emergence and interconnection of three 
preeminent challenges in the late 1990s: how to maintain energy 
security in increasingly globalized energy markets; how to harness 
competition in energy markets both here and abroad; and how to respond 
to local and global environmental concerns, including the threat of 
climate change. The need for research and development underlies the 
Strategy, which incorporates recommendations of my Committee of 
Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) for improvements in energy 
technologies that will enable the United States to address our energy-
related challenges. Advances in energy technology can strengthen our 
economy, reduce our vulnerability to oil shocks, lower the cost of 
energy to consumers, and cut emissions of air pollutants as well as 
greenhouse gases.
  This Strategy was developed over several months in an open process. 
Three public hearings were held earlier this year in California, Texas, 
and Washington, D.C., and more than 300 public comments were received. 
This Strategy is not a static document; its specifics can be modified 
to reflect evolving conditions, while the framework provides policy 
guidance into the 21st century. My Administration looks forward to 
working with the Congress to implement the Strategy and to achieve its 
goals in the most effective manner possible.
                                                  William J. Clinton.  
  The White House, July 14, 1998.

                          ____________________