Proclamation 6489—Energy Awareness Month, 1992

From the cars we drive to the utilities that heat and illuminate our homes, schools, and hospitals, we Americans depend on safe, reliable sources of energy for our personal mobility and comfort. At the same time, because it is vital to keeping our farms, factories, and defense systems functioning smoothly, we also depend on secure, reasonably priced energy for our economic productivity and national security.

Nearly 2 years ago, as part of our comprehensive efforts to ensure America's competitiveness and strength, we set forth our National Energy Strategy. Developed over more than one and a half years of public recommendations and government study, this strategy constitutes a blueprint for action to increase the United States' energy security, to promote economic growth and jobs, and to protect the environment. In addition to calling for the prudent development of all of our Nation's energy resources, including oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy, this plan also calls for increased use of alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas, ethanol, and methanol. It provides incentives for the development of new technology for oil and gas exploration, and it encourages the development and use of renewable sources of energy such as geothermal, solar, and hydroelectric power. Recognizing the imperative to balance our economic and energy security needs with our responsibility to protect the environment, our National Energy Strategy also calls for more efficient energy production and vigorous conservation efforts. Significant progress has been made in implementing the broad range of initiatives proposed in the Strategy, including a number requiring new legislation.

The United States is blessed with vast energy resources and with the skill to use them wisely. The public and private investments that we make in research and development oriented toward new energy technology will pay tremendous dividends for American consumers by providing access to the safe, reliable energy we need -- and at a fraction of the cost paid by consumers in other parts of the world. Hence, the focus of this year's Energy Awareness Month is "Energy Technology for a Competitive America." This theme accentuates the need to mobilize American know-how and common sense toward the goal of better energy production, transportation, and use.

Earlier this year, we launched the National Technology Initiative, a program to stimulate research and development and to facilitate the transfer of exciting new technologies from our government laboratories to the private sector. As part of this initiative, the Federal Government has entered into a number of partnerships with industry to accelerate the pace of development of technology that will reduce America's dependence on insecure supplies of energy and limit the impact of energy production and use on our air, land, and water.

Clearly, we can implement the sound energy policies and practices that are vital to our Nation's security and competitiveness -- if we continue to enlist the cooperation of business and industry leaders, energy providers, consumers, educators, and public officials at the Federal, State, and local levels of government. Toward that end, the United States Department of Energy will be working this month to increase public awareness of America's energy needs, as well as the energy options that are available to us.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 1992 as Energy Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to observe this month with appropriate educational programs and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventeenth.

GEORGE BUSH