STATE OF THE UNION FALLS SHORT ON ENERGY (World Watch Report)

Washington, D.C.-The energy and climate initiatives announced in U.S.President George W. Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday leftthe White House well behind the growing public and business momentum foran overhaul of U.S. energy policy.

The proposals lacked both the breadthand the specificity needed to cope with the twin problems of energysecurity and global warming, and leaves national leadership on the issueup to Congress.

The centerpiece of the president's energy proposal is the dramatic andlaudable goal of cutting gasoline consumption by 20 percent within adecade, but the mix of policies and technologies he would use to get usthere isn't clear.

The president's support for accelerated developmentof renewable fuels and improved fuel economy is headed in the rightdirection, but fuel economy still appears to be getting the short end ofthe stick in administration priorities.

The U.S. Congress will need topass strong new fuel economy and renewable fuel mandates if thepresident's goals for increased energy independence are to avoid thefate of similar proposals by at least five previous presidents.

Beyond biofuels, the array of other promising renewable energysources-including solar energy, wind power, and geothermalenergy-received only a mention in the president's speech, and isgenerally ignored in his detailed energy plan.

It will therefore fall toCongress to develop the kind of solid, far-reaching national commitmentto renewable resources and efficiency that will be needed to fuel astrong domestic economy and lower the consumption of oil and other

For those who were hoping that President Bush would announce a u-turn inclimate policy, his glancing reference to "the challenge of climatechange" was a disappointment.

The president's speech came a day afterCEOs of leading U.S. corporations called for a mandatory "cap" on U.S.emissions, but it is clear the administration is still not ready to takethe lead on an issue it has stubbornly refused to address for the lastsix years.

So, once again, it is up to Congress to pass the kind ofstrong new legislation that will allow the United States to catch upwith the policies being enacted by other nations-and by many U.S.states.