Dateline: 05/17/01

Addressing what he referred to yesterday as "the most serious energy shortage since the oil embargoes of the 1970s,'' President Bush has released his administration's national energy policy, a set of 105 recommendations designed to increase energy supplies while promoting conservation.

In all, 73 of the energy plan's recommendations can be implemented as presidential directives to the various agencies, while 20 will require Congress to pass new legislation or amend existing laws.

Developed by a presidential task force headed by Vice President Dick Cheney, the energy plan offers no direct relief for high and rising gasoline prices or solutions to the dire electrical shortages threatening the West with extended blackouts, but does address both issues.

Gasoline Prices
Attempting to control gasoline prices by reducing demand and increasing supplies, the energy policy directs the Department of Transportation to study and make recommendations on increasing fuel efficiency standards for cars, light trucks and sport utility vehicles. 

The last time fuel mileage standards were raised was in 1975 as a response to the Arab oil embargoes. At that time, standards were set by law at 27.5 miles per gallon for cars and 20.7 miles per gallon for light trucks. Since then, conservationists have unsuccessfully lobbied for higher mileage standards for light trucks and the new breed of sport utility vehicles in order to reduce energy use.

In addition, the Bush energy policy asks Congress to approve some $4 billion in tax credits over the next 10 years to promote the purchase of "hybrid" vehicles capable of running on gasoline and electricity.

The plan asks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess the environmental benefit of its pollution-reducing fuel formula regulations and determine if those regulations limit the distribution of affordable gasoline.

Directed at increasing supplies, the plan calls for a study on easing or removing government roadblocks to exploration and drilling for oil and gas on federally owned lands. The study is to include parts the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a 23-million acre site in Alaska originally placed under government control in 1923 as a potential source of emergency fuel for the U.S. Navy.

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