President George W. Bush, at signing ceremonies for H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, at the US Department of Energy on the morning of Dec. 19:
"The legislation I'm about to sign should say to the American people that we can find common ground on critical issues. And there's more we can accomplish together. New technologies will bring about a new era of energy. So I appreciate the fact that Congress, in the omnibus spending bill that I'm going to sign later on, recognizes that new technologies will help usher in a better quality of life for our citizens.
"And so we're going to spend money on new research for alternative feedstocks for ethanol. I mean, we understand the hog growers are getting nervous because the price of corn is up. But we also believe strongly that research will enable us to use wood chips and switchgrass and biomass to be able to develop the ethanol necessary to help us realize the vision outlined in this bill.
"I appreciate very much the fact that we're going to fund additional research on new battery technologies to power plug-in hybrids. We're spending money on innovative ways to capture solar power. We're providing incentives for nuclear energy. If we're serious about making sure we grow our economy and deal with greenhouse gases, we have got to expand nuclear power.
"It is going to take time to transition to this new era. And we're still going to need hydrocarbons. And I hope the Congress will continue to open access to domestic energy sources, certain parts of the Outer Continental Shelf and [the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]. And to protect us against disruptions in our oil supply, I ask Congress to double the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
"With these steps, particularly in the bill I'm about to sign, we're going to help American consumers a lot. We'll help them by diversifying our supplies, which will help lower energy prices. We'll strengthen our security by helping to break our dependence on foreign oil. We'll do our duty to future generations by addressing climate change.
"And so I thank the members of Congress. I appreciate the fact that we've worked together, that we can show what's possible in addressing the big issues facing our nation. This is a good bill and I'm pleased to sign it."
