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 Home > News & Policies > February 2007

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 22, 2007

Fact Sheet: Harnessing the Power of Technology for a Secure Energy Future

     Fact sheet In Focus: Energy

Today, President Bush Toured Novozymes North America In Franklinton, North Carolina, And Discussed His "Twenty In Ten" Energy Plan. In his State of the Union Address, President Bush set a goal of reducing America's gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years. This goal requires progress on two fronts: we must reform fuel economy standards for cars to make our use of gasoline more efficient, and we must harness the power of technology to increase the use of alternative fuels like ethanol.

  • Novozymes Produces Enzymes, Which Speed Up Chemical Reactions And Are A Key To Producing Ethanol. Enzymes help break down the starch material in plants like corn, so it can be converted into fuel.
  • Novozymes' Work On Enzymes Is Also Making It Possible To Produce Ethanol From Sources Other Than Corn. Enzymes are the key to turning materials like wood chips, switchgrass, and agricultural waste into a kind of ethanol called "cellulosic ethanol." Novozymes' work helped reduce the cost of enzymes needed to produce cellulosic ethanol from more than five dollars per gallon of ethanol to less than 50 cents per gallon.
  • In The Near Future, Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Are Expected To Start Production In Idaho, Louisiana, Iowa, And Nebraska – And In Spain And Canada. These pilot plants are the first step toward our plan for bigger regional production plants in the United States. As cellulosic ethanol production becomes commercially viable and more widespread, different regions of the country will be able to use the materials commonly found in their area – whether that is grass from a prairie, wood chips from a forest, or agricultural waste like stalks – to create fuel.

Ethanol And Other Biofuels Are Part Of A Larger Strategy To Address Energy Security, Cleaner Air, And Climate Change

Since 2001, The Federal Government Has Invested More Than $12 Billion To Develop Cleaner, Cheaper, And More Reliable Energy Sources. We are changing the way America generates electricity by investing in clean-coal technology, wind and solar power, and clean, safe nuclear power. We are also increasing funding for research and development into alternatives to oil and gasoline, including advanced batteries for plug-in and hybrid cars, biodiesel fuels, and hydrogen fuel cells. New technologies like these have the potential to provide reliable energy at competitive prices.

In His State Of The Union Address, President Bush Announced His "Twenty In Ten" Plan To Reduce U.S. Gasoline Usage By 20 Percent In The Next Ten Years. President Bush called on Congress and all Americans to join him in pursuing the goal of reducing U.S. gasoline usage, which will help increase our Nation's energy security by reducing our dependence on oil. Achieving this goal will also help address climate change concerns by slowing the projected growth of carbon dioxide emissions from cars, light trucks, and SUVs.

America Can Reach The President's "Twenty In Ten" Goal By:

  1. Increasing The Supply Of Renewable And Alternative Fuels By Setting A Mandatory Fuels Standard To Require 35 Billion Gallons Of Renewable And Alternative Fuels In 2017 – Nearly Five Times The 2012 Target Now In Law. In 2017, this would displace 15 percent of projected annual gasoline use.
  2. Reforming And Modernizing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards For Cars And Extending The Current Light Truck Rule. In 2017, this would reduce projected annual gasoline use by up to 8.5 billion gallons, a further 5 percent reduction that, in combination with increasing the supply of renewable and alternative fuels, would bring the total reduction in projected annual gasoline use to 20 percent.

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