Good morning, and welcome, everyone, to this meeting of the Energy Education Forum. 

           

As I think you are all aware, the Energy Policy Act that was passed last summer directs our Department to convene an organizational conference for the purpose of establishing an ongoing, self-sustaining national public energy education program.         

 

It seems to me that this is a particularly good time to focus our attention on how we can encourage all Americans to be more energy conscious and to think about how all of us can be more energy efficient in our everyday lives. As we return to our regular working and driving habits after the long holiday season--not to mention our regular eating habits!--we should consider taking this opportunity to adopt a few good energy-saving habits along the way.

 

 In fact, this New Year is an especially good time for a fresh start, because Americans now have a great opportunity to take advantage the new 2006 energy-efficiency tax-credits that went into effect on January 1st.

 

Of course, our Department is always encouraging everyone to take simple, immediate steps to reduce their energy bills such as turning down the thermostat, or weather stripping doors and windows.   But these tax credits, which were signed into law by President Bush last summer, are making it even easier for American families and businesses to reduce energy costs at home, work and on the road.  This is especially true for consumers who are considering the purchase of larger ticket items. 

 

For example, people who purchase the most fuel-efficient vehicles could reduce their tax liability by up to $3,400, while those who install certain products such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs and heating or cooling equipment, can receive up to $500 off of their federal tax bills.  Similar incentives are available to businesses, as well.

 

These credits cap off a three-month public education campaign that our Department has been engaged in called “Easy Ways to Save Energy.”  This is a wide-ranging effort to help us reduce overall energy demand and strengthen America’s energy security. 

 

Senior leaders in the Energy Department, including myself, have been traveling the country to help American families and businesses better deal with limited supplies and rising energy prices this winter.  We are going to local home improvement stores to showcase simple, readily-available energy savers that Americans can put into use right now.

 

The campaign also includes Public Service Announcements in English and Spanish, which we have sent to 4,500 stations.  In addition, we have distributed more than 20,000 EnergySavers booklets with tips for saving energy and money in the home, and we’ve dispatched teams of energy efficiency experts to help identify energy-saving options at large federal facilities and private industrial plants.

 

In our outreach efforts, we always encourage people to visit the Department’s web site for a wealth of additional information.  That is why I am pleased to announce today the launch of an updated version of the Department of Energy’s website. 

 

This redesigned energy.gov site allows for quicker and easier access to information about the Department of Energy’s programs and initiatives, and  features improved search technology powered by Google Search Appliance.  The refurbished site allows for easier navigation by organizing content into easy-to-use categories, such as educational resources for parents, teachers and students. 

 

Of course, all these efforts hardly exhaust the possibilities of what we can do to help make Americans more energy conscious.  That is why I am so pleased to see all of you participating in this conference.  I am certain that your deliberations today will give rise to some excellent ideas and strategies for building a strong and effective energy education program.

 

The damage that was inflicted on our oil and gas production by the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico--and the high prices exacerbated by intense global energy demand--have certainly increased the public’s awareness of energy issues.  Now we must do an even better job of heightening this awareness to make America’s energy consumers smarter, more conscientious, and more efficient.

 

And I think that all of you here, this wonderfully diverse group of people who have come together today, have a unique opportunity.   It is an opportunity I hope you will seize.  I would encourage you to draw on your great variety of backgrounds, and remarkable diversity of viewpoints, to learn from each other, and have a truly lively and productive conference.

 

By working together, I hope that you will be able generate creative and innovative ideas for designing an education program that will capture the attention of American energy consumers.  I urge you to investigate and explore the best approaches and best practices for educating the American people about the important role that energy plays in the economy, as well as methods for using energy more efficiently, and minimizing the impact of our energy use on the environment.

 

Now, I don’t want to delineate or circumscribe the discussions you will have today.  In fact, I hope your conversations today will be as frank and wide-ranging as possible.  So rather than offer any specific suggestions, let me stop here.

 

Once more, I want to thank you all for coming, and let me offer my encouragement and best wishes for a successful conference.

 

Thank you.