Bush Promotes Biodiesel Fuel as an Alternative

But Bush conceded there was little he could do in the short term to drive down gasoline prices.

"I wish I could just wave a magic wand and lower the price at the pump," he said in a speech. "That's not how it works. You see, the high prices we face today have been decades in the making."

Bush addressed several hundred residents and workers at the Virginia BioDiesel Refinery, a year-old company that makes fuel from soybeans for use in diesel engines.

In touring the plant, Bush sought to highlight an emerging fuel that is relatively clean-burning and has grown in production from 500,000 gallons a year in 1999 to 30 million gallons last year -- an increase that makes biodiesel the fastest-growing alternative fuel in the country, industry leaders say.

About 500 transportation fleets around the country use the fuel, including the National Park Service, James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., and Arlington County, Va., school buses.

"Biodiesel burns more completely and produces less air pollution than gasoline or regular diesel," Bush said. "Biodiesel also reduces engine wear and produces almost no sulfur emissions, which makes it a good choice for cities and states working to meet strict air quality standards. And every time we use homegrown biodiesel, we support American farmers, not foreign oil producers."

Experts say biodiesel, which also can be made from recycled cooking grease, can be used in any vehicle that runs on petroleum-based diesel. But diesel-engine vehicles have not attained the popularity in the U.S. that they have in Western Europe, where nearly half of new passenger cars are diesel-powered. In the U.S., about 1% of cars run on diesel fuel.

The Environmental Protection Agency says biodiesel releases less carbon monoxide and fewer hydrocarbons and particles than petroleum-based diesel. But its price can be as much as 20 cents a gallon higher, says the National Biodiesel Board, an industry trade group.

Railing against the country's growing reliance on foreign energy sources, Bush noted that 20 years ago, 75% of crude oil used in U.S. refineries came from American sources. Today, he said, the figure is 35%.