美國布希總統21日視察能源部國家再生能源實驗室時，直稱自己深受再生能源的啟發。他對於布希政府百般推動的核電廠興建計劃僅輕描淡寫帶過，並將話題轉向乾淨煤（clean coal）、乙醇、混合動力車、風力及太陽能發電等未來能源可帶來之益處。
布希對能源節約與效能小組發表看法時指出：「不可置信，我們的生活方式已經有了如此正向的轉變。」布希說，為了達成「減少對外國石油依賴的國家目標，我們談得不只是再生能源能讓我國變得更獨立而已，這只是其一，我們談論的是更廣泛的層面。」
布希表示，他將研擬並推動在稅法中納入永久性減稅方案，而不是像現在需每年提出申請與審核，這將有助於再生能源未來的發展。
布希說，納稅人應該了解到現在所投資的研究經費未來將為他們帶來直接的利益，例如將在2015年以前完工的第一座零排放燃煤電廠。
「投資新科技是很重要的，這將讓我們利用乾淨煤技術──因為我們煤炭的存量還可再使用250年。納稅人必需知道藉著把錢花在重要的研究，我們將有能力以一種友善環境的方式使用我們的豐沛資源，還有節省你們的電費帳單。」
President George W. Bush says he is "fired up" about renewable energy. On a visit to the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory on Tuesday Bush mentioned but downplayed his government's push to build nuclear power plants and turned his attention to clean coal, ethanol, hybrid cars, wind and solar power.
"We're close to changing the way we live in an incredibly positive way," the President said in remarks to an energy conservation and efficiency panel.
To achieve the "national goal of becoming less dependent on foreign sources of oil," Bush said "we're not relying upon one aspect of renewable energy to help this country become less dependent. We're talking about a variety of fronts."
Bush said he would like to make the research and development tax credit a permanent part of the tax code instead of continuing to require annual reauthorization, a move that would benefit renewable energy development.
Bush said the American taxpayers should understand that research dollars spent now will yield direct benefits for them in the future, such as construction of the first zero emission coal-fired electricity plant by 2015.
"It's important that we spend money on new technologies so we can burn coal cleanly, because we've got 250 years worth of coal reserves," the President said. "The American taxpayers have got to know that by spending money on this vital research, that we're going to be able to use our abundant sources of coal in an environmentally friendly way, and help with your electricity bills," he said.
