WASHINGTON - President Bush will promote alternative energy sources in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday night, but won't offer quick fixes for high gasoline and other energy prices.
In his annual speech to Congress, Bush will focus on implementing the energy legislation he signed into law in August to carry out the first major overhaul of US energy policy in more than a decade, industry and trade officials said.
The legislation offers more long-term solutions for America's energy problems, such as almost doubling ethanol production by 2012 to help stretch US gasoline supplies and providing consumers tax credits for buying hybrid cars.
But consumers tuning in to the president's speech to find out his solution for easing current gasoline and other high energy costs may be disappointed.
"The energy problems that we face today were built up over a long period of time and are not going to be solved overnight," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Bush said on Sunday that the United States must reduce its addiction to foreign oil and energy issues will play "big time" in his speech.
However, one industry official described what Bush will say about energy as "not a lot of really exciting stuff" and "nothing that I've seen that would be considered revolutionary."
The White House has refused to provide more details on what energy issues Bush will address.
"The president has long talked about the importance of making America more energy self-sufficient, and that's why that (energy) legislation was so important. But there's more that we need to do. Energy prices remain too high," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Monday.
Since Bush gave his last State of the Union address, the price for gasoline is up 45 cents, or 23 percent, to $2.36 a gallon and residential natural gas bills are forecast to rise 35 percent this winter to an average $1,000 for the season.
While the pocketbooks of consumers are drained, major oil companies earned record profits from high energy prices.
Exxon Mobil Corp. said Monday it earned $10.7 billion during the fourth quarter of 2005 and $36.1 billion for the whole year, up 42 percent from 2004 and bigger than the economies of 125 countries.
Bush may tout his administration's hydrogen car research program, but the vehicles won't be in showrooms at affordable prices until 2020 - 11 years after he leaves office.
The president is also likely to repeat his call for the United States to build more nuclear power plants, as natural gas has become expensive as a fuel for electricity generation. It would take years to construct new reactors.
Story by Tom Doggett
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
