News Analysis

 

 

But offers no relief for summer-giving Democrats a bone to pick.

President Bush's national energy policy, released May 17, takes a comprehensive long-term approach, by mixing conservation and green power incentives with plans to expand fossil fuel production and construction of new power plants. In spite of that mix, however, the proposal promises to have its critics-from both inside and outside Washington.

Dwight Allen, communications and utilities director, at Deloitte Research, suggests that in some ways the Bush proposal may be on target, but warns that the President faces an uphill battle to turn some of them into reality.

"I think Bush has a tremendous challenge ahead of him in getting his package approved," says Allen. Thomas E. Capps, chairman and CEO of Dominion, offered comments in the same vein: "The administration is saying the right things. Now we've got to see if it has the political will."