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American Morning

President Bush to Order Power Cutbacks

Aired May 03, 2001 - 10:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to an issue that may be as close as your light switch. Fears of a looming energy shortage are fueling a meeting this hour on Capitol Hill. They're discussing the adoption of a national energy policy. Meanwhile, President Bush is implementing some action of his own.

He is ordering government agencies to turn down the lights and turn up the thermostats.

CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett joining us with details -- Major, it looks like it might be a little toasty in some federal buildings over the summer.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Toasty in some federal buildings and a bit more aerobic, if you will, Daryn, because the order that the president is going to sign today will instruct federal agencies -- not everywhere in the country and not all federal agencies -- but particularly those in areas that are going to be hardest hit by energy shortages, particularly those in California, to turn up the thermometer, turn off some lights and close down some escalators at peak use times. White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer adding a bit of a clarification this morning, saying that this order from the president will not affect all federal buildings, will not affect, for example, the White House.

But in areas where there are severe energy shortages, it will affect, particularly California, and there are some very specific instructions for federal buildings in California.

If there is a stage two or stage three alert, for example, thermostats are to be turned up to 78 degrees, all non-essential lighting is to be turned off and escalators shut down. This is also going to affect federal military bases and military facilities, because they are big consumers of energy within the federal government apparatus.

The defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, has been called in to consult with the president and his energy advisers about how to do that without undermining readiness or training. Now, all of this is, in part, dealt with because the White House has grown sensitive to criticism that in dealing with the energy crisis, what it calls an energy crisis, it has underplayed the value of conservation, particularly in California. To underscore the administration's efforts in California, the president is dispatching his energy secretary, Spencer Abraham, to go to California today to meet with the governor, Gray Davis, and then to go through a federal building in San Francisco tomorrow to show how conservation can help with the energy squeeze -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Major Garrett at the White House.

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