Bush Details Energy Plans

Bush Details Energy Plans

May 05 - Augusta Chronicle, The

President Bush, facing economic and political damage from soaring gasoline prices, offered proposals Wednesday to speed construction of nuclear power plants and oil refineries and boost sales of energy-efficient vehicles.

Mr. Bush outlined his initiatives in his second energy speech in a week, reflecting growing concern in the White House that high energy prices are beginning to slow economic growth and undercut Mr. Bush's approval rating.

Mr. Bush lamented to small business owners that he was powerless to cut gas prices.

"This problem did not develop overnight and it's not going to be fixed overnight. But it's now time to fix it," he said.

Mr. Bush said the problem is that energy supplies are not growing fast enough to meet demand.

"See, we've got a fundamental question we got to face here in America," he said. "Do we want to continue to grow more dependent on other nations to meet our energy needs? Or do we need to do what is necessary to achieve greater control of our economic destiny?"

America has not ordered a nuclear power plant since the 1970s. Mr. Bush said France has built 58 plants in the same time and today gets more than 78 percent of its electricity from nuclear power.

"It's time for America to start building again," he said.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid called Mr. Bush's initiatives "little more than half-measures and wrongheaded policies." He said Senate Democrats will offer a much larger package of tax incentives - double the $8 billion approved by the House - and funnel more of the money to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures.

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