From President Bush's 2006 State of the Union Address
"Keeping America competitive requires
affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is
addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the
world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology.
Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10 billion to develop cleaner,
cheaper, and more reliable alternative energy sources -- and we are on
the threshold of incredible advances.
So tonight, I
announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22-percent increase in
clean-energy research -- at the Department of Energy, to push for
breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and
offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants,
revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear
energy.
We must also change how we power
our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for
hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on
hydrogen. We'll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods
of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips and
stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol
practical and competitive within six years.
Breakthroughs
on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great
goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the
Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and
technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our
environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our
dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past. "