WASHINGTON , DC, US.
The administration of President George Bush has spent $12 billion to
research, develop and promote alternative energy sources.
"America has got to change its habits; we've got to get off oil," he told
the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference. “As our economy
grows, it's going to create more demand for oil” and demand is outstripping
supply.
"The dependency upon oil also puts us at the mercy of terrorists," he adds.
"If there's tight supply and demand, all it requires is one terrorist
disruption of oil and that price goes even higher. It's in our interests to
end our dependency on oil because that dependency presents a challenge to
our national security."
In 1985, 20% of U.S. oil came from abroad; currently, the level is 60%.
"I've set a great goal for our country, and that is to reduce our dependence
on oil by investing in technologies that will produce abundant supplies of
clean and renewable energy, and at the same time show the world that we're
good stewards of the environment," he explained. "America is in the lead
when it comes to energy independence; we're in the lead when it comes to new
technologies; we're in the lead when it comes to global climate change --
and we'll stay that way."
Since 2001, the U.S. has increased wind energy production by 300% and, last
year, 20% of new generating capacity in the country came from wind turbines.
Between 2000 and 2007, solar capacity in the U.S. has doubled and, last
year, U.S. solar installations grew by 32%.
"When I was the governor of Texas, I signed a electric deregulation bill
that encouraged and mandated the use of renewable energy; today, Texas
produces more wind energy than any other state in the Union," Bush noted.
"If an oil state can produce wind energy, other states in America can
produce wind energy."
"We have spent, since I've been the President, a billion dollars on
harnessing the power of the sun," he explained.
"If you're interested in economic growth and environmental stewardship,
there's no better way to achieve both of them than through the promotion of
nuclear power," he added. "Nuclear power is limitless; it's one existing
source that generates a massive amount of electricity without causing air
pollution or any greenhouse gases."
The conference ended when 2,800 delegates from 119 countries pledged to
promote renewables through the Washington International Action Program.
Financial pledges for WIAP will be accepted until early April and the
Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN 21) will monitor
the status of pledge implementation and provide periodic reports.
WIREC 2008 was the third global ministerial-level conference on renewables,
following similar conferences in Beijing in 2005 and Bonn in 2004. The next
conference will be 2010 in India.
|
