President Bush says US must “Get off oil”, says rising corn costs should not prompt retreat from biofuels, but more R&D

March 6, 2008

Speaking at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC), President George W. Bush said that the United States needed to “get off oil” and backed cellulosic ethanol as the best path to reducing energy dependence in the face of rising oil prices.

The President acknowledged the effect of rising corn prices on the cattle and hog industries, but said “The best thing to do is not to retreat from our commitment to alternative fuels, but to spend research and development money on alternatives to ethanol made from other materials…What the government doesn’t need to do is send mixed signals. I understand private capital, understand how it flows. And so when people look at the United States to determine whether we’re committed to new technologies that will change how we live, they not only need to look at the federal investment, but they’ve got to understand there’s a lot of smart money heading into the private sector to help develop these new technologies.”

Complete text of President Bush’s remarks.

The New York Times ran an editorial praising the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act in light of recent articles in Science magazine regarding greenhouse gas emissions and biofuels. The bill was initially proposed in the 2007 State of the Union speech.
The Times said “The final bill correctly included environmental safeguards. The most important is a requirement that ethanol, regardless of its source, achieve at least a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases compared with conventional gasoline….The calculations would have to account for both direct emissions â€” those associated with growing, harvesting and refining corn or other feedstocks â€” and indirect emissions, including those caused by changes in land use as acres devoted to producing food were converted to producing fuel. These safeguards now look very smart.”

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Written by Jim Lane · Filed Under Policy