[ RadSafe ] Overview of President Bush's Competitiveness and Advance Energy Initiatives (with links)

Wed Feb 1 15:28:19 CST 2006

FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science
Policy News Number 17: February 1, 2006

Overview of President Bush's S&T Initiatives

The White House has provided further information on
the American Competitiveness Initiative and Advanced
Energy Initiative that President Bush announced in his
State of the Union Address last night.  Selections
from these documents follow:

AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS INITIATIVE:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060131-5.html

"The American Competitiveness Initiative commits $5.9
billion in FY 2007, and more than $136 billion over 10
years, to increase investments in research and
development (R&D), strengthen education, and encourage
entrepreneurship and innovation."

"The centerpiece of the American Competitiveness
Initiative is the President's strong commitment to
double over 10 years investment in key Federal
agencies that support basic research programs in the
physical sciences and engineering - the National
Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy's
Office of Science (DoE SC), and the Department of
Commerce's National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST)."

"The President's FY07 Budget includes $137 billion for
Federal research and development, an increase of more
than 50 percent over 2001."

"The sum of the budgets of the National Science
Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of
Science, and the Department of Commerce's National
Institute of Standards and Technology will double over
10 years, a total commitment of $50 billion of new
funding."

"To Encourage Bolder Private-Sector Investment In
Technology, The President Continues To Support Making
The Research And Development
(R&D) Tax Credit Permanent."

"To prepare our citizens to compete more effectively
in the global marketplace, the American
Competitiveness Initiative proposes $380 million in
new Federal support to improve the quality of math,
science, and technological education in our K-12
schools and engage every child in rigorous courses
that teach important analytical, technical, and
problem-solving skills. Building on the successes of
the No Child Left Behind Act, the American
Competitiveness Initiative will raise student
achievement in math and science through testing and
accountability, providing grants for targeted
interventions, and developing curricula based on
proven methods of instruction."

"As part of the American Competitiveness Initiative,
the President's
FY07 Budget introduces Career Advancement Accounts
(CAA). CAAs will be self-managed accounts of up to
$3,000 that workers and people looking for work can
use to obtain training and other employment services."

"The President supports attracting and retaining the
best and the brightest high-skilled workers from
around the world by reforming the Nation's immigration
system, while maintaining national security
priorities. The President's comprehensive plan for
immigration reform meets the needs of a growing
economy, allows workers to provide for their families
while respecting the law, and enhances homeland
security by relieving pressure on the borders."

"The American Competitiveness Initiative will help the
United States remain a world leader in science and
technology. Just as important, we must continue to
pursue pro-growth economic policies and foster a
culture of entrepreneurship. The President's economic
agenda, including reducing taxes and overly burdensome
regulations, will help create a business environment
where innovators and entrepreneurs are rewarded. The
American Competitiveness Initiative also supports an
efficient system that leads the world in the
protection of intellectual property resulting from
public and private sector investments in research."

ADVANCED ENERGY INITIATIVE:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060131-6.html

"Tonight, the President announced the Advanced Energy
Initiative, which provides for a 22% increase in
clean-energy research at the Department of Energy
(DOE). The Initiative will accelerate our
breakthroughs in two vital areas; how we power our
homes and businesses; and how we power our
automobiles."

"Changing The Way We Power Our Homes And Businesses:"

"The President's Coal Research Initiative.  To tap the
potential of America's enormous coal reserves, the
President's 2007 Budget includes $281 million for
development of clean coal technologies, nearly
completing the President's commitment 4 years ahead of
schedule."

"The President's 2007 Budget Includes $54 Million For
The FutureGen Initiative. The FutureGen initiative is
a partnership between government and the private
sector to develop innovative technologies for an
emissions-free coal plant that captures the carbon
dioxide it produces and stores it in deep geologic
formations."

"The President's Solar America Initiative. The 2007
Budget will propose a new $148 million Solar America
Initiative - an increase of
$65 million over FY06 - to accelerate the development
of semiconductor materials that convert sunlight
directly to electricity."

"The 2007 Budget includes $44 million for wind energy
research - a
$5 million increase over FY06 levels. This will help
improve the efficiency and lower the costs of new wind
technologies for use in low-speed wind environments."

"Changing The Way We Power Our Automobiles:"

"The Biorefinery Initiative. To achieve greater use of
'homegrown'
renewable fuels in the United States, advanced
technologies need to be perfected to make fuel ethanol
from cellulosic (plant fiber) biomass, which is now
discarded as waste. The President's 2007 Budget will
include $150 million - a $59 million increase over
FY06
- to help develop bio-based transportation fuels from
agricultural waste products, such as wood chips,
stalks, or switch grass."

"Developing More Efficient Vehicles. Current hybrids
on the road run on a battery developed at the DOE. The
President's plan would accelerate research in the next
generation of battery technology for hybrid vehicles
and 'plug-in hybrids.' Current hybrids can only use
the gasoline engine to charge the on-board battery. A
'plug-in'
hybrid can run either on electricity or on gasoline
and can be plugged into the wall at night to recharge
its batteries. These vehicles will enable drivers to
meet most of their urban commuting needs with
virtually no gasoline use. Advanced battery
technologies offer the potential to significantly
reduce oil consumption in the near-term. The 2007
Budget includes $30 million - a $6.7 million increase
over FY06 - to speed up the development of this
battery technology and extend the range of these
vehicles."

"The Hydrogen Fuel Initiative.  The President's 2007
Budget will provide $289 million - an increase of $53
million over FY06 - to accelerate the development of
hydrogen fuel cells and affordable hydrogen-powered
cars."

###############
Richard M. Jones
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi at aip.org    http://www.aip.org/gov
(301) 209-3095
##END##########

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-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com

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