U.S. Contempt for Alternatives.

• Position: US energy policy - Brief Article

After encountering severe criticism of its proposed new energy policy, both from its own citizens and from around the world, the U.S. administration of George W. Bush has backed away from some of its most extreme positions. But whether this backing away reflects a change of heart or a feint to deflect the attacks is not yet clear. What is very clear is that top officials continue to regard the Kyoto Protocol on climate change as "fatally flawed," insisting that serious action to reduce carbon emissions would inflict unacceptable damage on the U.S. economy. The Bush administration is holding fast to its core agenda of pushing for more oil drilling, accelerating the construction of coal-fired power plants, and trying to bring about a nuclear industry revival.

Meanwhile, the administration is turning its back on a whole range of energy alternatives, including the renewable sources of wind and solar-generated electricity, the use of more efficient production processes in major industries like paper and steel, and the shift to more energy-efficient refrigerators, air conditioners, lighting, and cars. Compared with other industrial countries, the United States uses far more energy for each dollar of economic output, and therefore has substantial potential for savings without wrecking the economy. But translating these opportunities into the real world requires steady government support, because basic research yields scientific advances that are often years removed from commercial application, and therefore not necessarily on the radar screen of private companies with relatively short time horizons.

Although the U.S. economy is now considerably more energy-efficient than it was a quarter century ago, that quarter-century has still been a time of missed opportunities. Federal spending on research and development (R&D) for energy efficiency and...