President George W. Bush unveiled his new comprehensive energy policy hours before he spoke at the Iowa Energy Center in Nevada last Thursday.

Steffen Schmidt, university professor of political science, said the president’s energy plan covers a wide range of energy sources.

“When you look at his energy plan it includes a variety of things, including continued fossil fuels like coal, and it also includes some forms of renewable energy sources,” Schmidt said.

He said since Ronald Reagan was in office, presidents announcing new policies have had to rely on a “back drop.”

“Some times the back drop may not emphasize the main point of the policy, but Bush needs desperately to prove to the people and Congress that his plan [uses] alternative energy,” he said.

Schmidt believes Bush was trying to emphasize his concern for alternative energy.

“Bush’s energy policy does focus primarily on increasing production of conventional fuels, but he is not going to get very far unless he shows that he is in favor of renewable resources,” Schmidt said.

The energy plan has found some support from around the state.

“We have not had much of an energy policy for the past two decades other than relying on foreign oil, and I think his policy balances oil and alternative fuels,” state Sen. Larry McKibben.

McKibben, R-Marshalltown, said Bush’s energy plan will help Iowa in the future with growth.

“I am very hopeful that we can grow the market share of ethanol and make a very significant impact on our economy,” McKibben said. “We still have to worry about our own state issues like electric energy problems.”

Not everyone believes that the president’s new energy plan is beneficial for the country.

“From what I have seen, it is pretty much one-sided. It focuses on fossil fuels and gathering more energy, not on conservation,” state Sen. Mike Connolly said. “The energy plan has no focus.”

Connolly, D-Dubuque, said the energy plan falls short of the needs of everyone, not just Iowa.

“It does not meet the country’s needs or Iowa’s needs for an energy plan because it does not focus on renewable sources of energy or conservation,” he said. “It doesn’t meet our states’ needs at all.”

California will have a major effect on ethanol, Schmidt said. The state has asked for a waiver not to sell ethanol.

“Ethanol depends on the federal laws that are part of the clean air standards, but California has asked for a waiver from those laws, and I don’t know if Bush is going to grant the waiver,” Schmidt said.

He said if Bush does grant the waiver it will hurt ethanol. Schmidt said he thinks Bush will deny the request for a waiver, which will help the Iowa farmer.

McKibben said additional capacity is already being increased for ethanol, but if Iowa has to provide the state of California with ethanol, it will greatly increase production.

Connolly said Bush has left the door open on ethanol and missed a golden opportunity last week when he did not announce whether he was going to let California off the hook with the environmental regulations.

“Bush says he is for ethanol, but I would like to see some action,” he said.