(WASHINGTON, DC) - The energy plan unveiled today by President Bush borrows a page from the book of Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District-KS), but doesn’t go far enough on a variety of fronts, according to the congressman.

The Bush plan includes tax credits for development of biomass and landfill energy developments, two forms of renewable energy that are increasingly common. This provision is similar to legislation offered by Moore last fall. But the Bush plan stops short of extending tax incentives to develop domestic unconventional hard-to-reach deposits-something Moore extended in his bill and believes is crucial to providing short-term relief to energy markets.

“President Bush is on the right track when it comes to extending tax credits for these two renewable energy sources,” said Moore. “But for an administration that says it wants to increase supply and provide immediate relief to consumers, passing up a bipartisan opportunity to provide tax credits for increased domestic production is disappointing. I’m afraid the president would rather drill on environmentally-sensitive lands than tap new or existing domestic deposits.”

When introduced during the last session of Congress, the Moore plan received bipartisan backing, including that of Senator Frank Murkowski (R-AK), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Murkowski has made Moore’s tax credit program part of his energy package that he is currently advocating in the Senate.

“I am also disappointed the overall plan does not focus to the extent it needs to on renewable, alternative fuels, energy efficiency or conservation,” said Moore, the Co-chairman of the House Alcohol Fuels Caucus. “The plan the president released is long on suggestions-good suggestions that need to be acted upon. But I think the president has the same problem here he has with his budget. He is long on good ideas, but very short on resources to back it up.”

Moore is referring to the Bush budget cuts in key energy policy areas: A 26% cut in federal conservation efforts; a 27% cut in energy efficiency efforts; and an overall cut in the Energy Department budget of 3%.

“These are programs that invest in new technologies like wind and water power, and help businesses develop and adopt very simple but effective conservation technologies,” said Moore. “It just seems to me that if you say you believe in doing something, you would allocate the resources to get it done. I think we should be forward-looking enough to make these investments in renewable energy and conservation technology. But I don’t think that is happening in this plan, and American consumers and businesses will be the worse for it.”

Recently Moore wrote a letter to Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham urging him to make increased OPEC oil production a priority in his talks with the Saudi Arabian Oil Minister, to increase gasoline refining capacity, and to focus on development of renewable energy and conservation technologies.