Some clean-energy companies blasted U.S. President George W. Bush’s proposals to create new sources of energy, while others said his energy proposals are a good start.
In a speech Thursday night, the president said the country must make better use of technology for energy conservation, find environmentally sensitive ways to use fossil fuels and nuclear energy, develop new sources of energy, and help overseas energy consumers become more energy-efficient.
While he mentioned hydrogen, ethanol, and bio-diesel as some of the “promising new sources of energy” that should be developed, President Bush left out technologies such as solar, wind, and water power.
The speech came a day after Mr. Bush proposed building oil refineries on former military bases, encouraging the development of more nuclear power, offering risk insurance for new nuclear reactors, encouraging new liquefied natural gas terminals, and extending tax credits to clean-diesel vehicles.
“The good news is the plan does have elements that will provide support for renewable energy,” said Ron Pernick, co-founder and principal of Clean Edge, a clean-tech research firm. “But it falls short of a real vision moving us toward energy independence. There is not much new in this plan.”
Mr. Pernick said the proposed incentives for hydrogen fuel-cell R&D are favorable, for instance, but the plan still relies heavily on fossil fuel and doesn’t do enough to encourage fuel and energy efficiency. Also, while nuclear energy is emission-free, it is not the answer to the country’s problems due to national security, nuclear proliferation, and nuclear waste disposal issues, he said.
Not surprisingly, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) felt differently. “The nuclear industry applauds President Bush for his leadership and his willingness to embrace new ideas in order to secure a strong energy future for the American people,” said NEI CEO Skip Bowman. “The president’s proposal to include incentives for new nuclear power plant construction in a broader package of energy sector policies is obviously welcome and vital to meeting our future energy needs.”
Sharp Electronics’ solar division, solar company Konarka, and fuel-cell company Ballard Power Systems said the plan is positive because it includes their sectors.
Ballard Power Systems”We’re very excited that the president continues to be a champion for hydrogen and fuel cells,” said Stephen Kukucha, director of external affairs and government business development for Ballard. The company hopes the bill will pass with robust funding for R&D, demonstration, and government purchases in the sector, he added.
Fossil Fuel Emphasis
But several others criticized the president’s emphasis on fossil fuels, including the leaders of Renewable Ventures, SustainableBusiness.com, and the WilderHill Clean Energy Index. Matt Cheney, CEO of Renewable Ventures, called it “too little, too late.”
“This makes absolutely no sense,” said Rona Fried, president of SustainableBusiness.com. “He just does lip service to energy conservation and renewables, but keeps putting the emphasis on increasing drilling and locations of fossil fuel terminals, when everybody knows that’s not the solution.”
She calls the emphasis on a new generation of power plants “a throwback to olden years” and labeled the president a “dinosaur” for his thinking.
Another Clean Edge co-founder and principal, Joel Makower, was also blunt. “[President] Bush’s call to harness the ‘transformational power of technology’ was admirable, but it’s the same old dirty technology that’s creating global warming, the asthma epidemic, and a host of other problems for America’s health and well-being,” he said.
“He’s squandering an opportunity to harness the power of clean technology to meet our environmental challenges as well as our energy needs,” added Mr. Makower.