What the 'State of the Union' said about energy

President Bush devoted four paragraphs of his speech to the need for America to become energy independent. This probably is the first time he has talked about energy without immediately mentioning drilling for more oil in North America. (But he hasn't changed his mind about drilling for more oil in North America.) Let's look at what he said. "Our third goal is to promote energy independence for our country," he said, "while dramatically improving the environment. I have sent you a comprehensive energy plan to promote energy efficiency and conservation, to develop cleaner technology, and to produce more energy at home." He referred to energy legislation that has passed the U.S. House but not come to the Senate floor. (In August, Congress passed, and then Bush signed, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which calls for some funding and incentives for alternative energy sources, but much more for oil and gas production in the United States, nuclear power plants, clean coal technology. That act provides $14.5 billion in tax incentives, most of it going to oil and gas companies.) He said, "In this century, the greatest environmental progress will come about not through endless lawsuits or command-and-control regulations, but through technology and innovation. Tonight I'm proposing $1.2 billion in research funding so that America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen-powered automobiles." And then, he recounted the intriguing aspect of hydrogen fuel cells without explaining the problems. "A single chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen generates energy, which can be used to power a car -- producing only water, not exhaust fumes," he said. "With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom, so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free. Join me in this important innovation to make our air significantly cleaner, and our country much less dependent on foreign sources of energy." Hydrogen technology requires energy, and so far, fossil fuels have provided the energy to create the "single chemical reaction." Research is good -- fuel cells seem promising -- but there is a lot to do so that these don't further drain fossil fuels. Bush also announced "another great goal, to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025." What he didn't say is that most of our oil imports come from other places. The U.S. uses more than 20 million barrels of oil per day, and we produce less than 8 million barrels here. We import the rest. The top sources of crude oil imports are Canada (first place), Mexico, Saudi Arabia (third place), and, close behind, Venezuela and Nigeria.

To reduce the portion we import from the Middle East by 75 percent isn't quite like reducing all of the imports. What the president means, surely, is that importing oil from the Middle East is the problem. That means something different than if he said that the U.S. should stop using so much oil because it pollutes and because the world will run out of it in a few generations.