State of the Union and Energy Policy

Here's the passage from tonight's State of the Union address that dealt with energy policy:

Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world.

The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly 10 billion dollars to develop cleaner, cheaper, more reliable alternative energy sources - and we are on the threshold of incredible advances. So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative - a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy.

We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We will also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips, stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years. Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment ... move beyond a petroleum-based economy ... and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.

UPDATE: Some reactions. Here's Jay Reding:

[I]f we’re going to truly achieve the important goal of becoming a truly 21st Century economy, we need a radical and comprehensive plan to do so. That means a real commitment to nuclear energy. China is working on pebble-bed reactor technology that can provide massive amounts of cheap, clean, and safe nuclear energy. We can’t allow ourselves to fall behind.

Stephen Green:

The last time I heard a President get applause for saying something about nuclear power, it was Jimmy Carter. And he wasn't exactly saying nice things about it.

Self-described environmentalist Watchdog 316 signals he might budge on nuclear energy if it means curbing greenhouse gas emissions:

For the record I don’t like the concept of nuclear energy, but I believe some compromises are necessary in this battle.

For more on the Advanced Energy Initiative the President mentioned, click here. Thanks to Austin Bay for the pointer. And for NEI CEO Skip Bowman's statement on the speech, click here. And for more coverage on the rest of the speech, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics