President Urges Public to Connect the Dots

It was not unexpected when the Republican congress approved, and Bush signed, energy legislation last year that cut funding for the National Renewable Energy Lab here in Colorado. The large number of pork projects in the energy bill required this significant sacrifice ($28 million worth). When all was said and done, many cuts were required at the lab, including the layoff of 32 employees.

But, Bush suddenly got religion at his State of the Union address, and started talking up alternative energy. He recently went on a whirlwind tour of some of the country's hot spots in the industry, including NREL. Well, the day the President showed up at NREL to talk up all the good things they are doing, it was announced that somehow the Department of Energy had scrounged up $5 million, enough to save those 32 jobs. (Note that NREL is still $23 million short to accomplish the projects they are working on and which Bush was touting.)

It doesn't take much of a crayon to connect the dots on this. A successful Bush speech is worth $5 million, but not $28 million. And the scientists at NREL (and the worthy science they are performing) are nothing but pawns in this political game.

At NREL, President Bush explains the difference between renewable energy and renewable research dollars.