National Energy Plan Message of the President.

In each period of our history, the nation has responded to challenges which have demanded the best in all of us.This is one of those times.

Our energy crisis is an invisible crisis, which grows steadily worse--even when it is not in the news. It has taken decades to develop, as our demand for energy has grown much faster than our supply. It will take decades to solve. But we still have time to find answers in a planned, orderly way--if we define the changes we must make and if we begin now.

This report explains why we have to act, and gives you the details of our Plan. The Plan is complicated. I am sure that many people will find some feature of it they will dislike along with features they can support. But it is a carefully balanced Plan, which depends for its effectiveness on all of its major parts.

Above all it is fair. Our guiding principle, as we develop the Plan, was that none of our people should be asked to bear an unfair burden, and none should reap an unfair advantage. There will be sacrifices, but they will be gradual, reasonable--and fair.

The changes the Plan recommends will mean a new direction in American life. In some cases heading in that direction may seem inconvenient. But I have faith that meeting this challenge will make our lives more satisfying.

We can rediscover the ingenuity and the efficiency which have made our nation prosper, rather than deepening our dependence on insecure imports and increasingly expensive conventional energy supplies. We can rediscover small-scale, more creative ways of satisfying our needs. If we are successful, we can protect jobs, the environment, and the basic American standard of living, not only for ourselves but also for our children and grandchildren.

I know that, if we work together as a united people, we will succeed.

JIMMY CARTER