    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [April 16, 2005]
    [Pages 614-615]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    April 16, 2005

        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 3 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.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8:45 a.m. on April 15 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on April 16. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    April 15 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary

    [[Page 615]]

    also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.