For example, nuclear power doesn t contribute to air pollution, although it generates nuclear waste. The government is exploring a proposal to build an underground nuclear-waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles from Las Vegas in the Nevada desert. Wind power is regarded as environmentally benign, but it works best in regions where there is a lot of wind, such as California, Texas and the Great Plains. The United States also has untapped sources of new energy, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Mr. Bush said yesterday he wants to open 8 percent of the pristine territory to drilling.
Environmentalists oppose the idea.
They cite U.S. Geological Survey estimates, which suggest the refuge would produce only a six-month supply of oil. Instead, the auto industry should build cars and trucks that go farther on a gallon of gas, Mr. Becker said. The Bush plan also calls for consideration of drilling for oil offshore and under the Great Lakes. An EIA spokesman said other options could include the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Rocky Mountains, although restrictions on drilling in those areas probably would not be lifted for years. Mr. Bush also proposed cutting through licensing red tape to speed expansions of power plants, refineries and transmission lines.