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Wednesday, January 29, 2003 Bush Promises Hydrogen Car Research George W Bush. Credit: CNN In President Bush's State of the Union address last night, there was no announcement about Project Prometheus. Much of the president's 1-hour speech pushed the Iraq envelope. However, there was one major issue that really surprised me: 1.2 billion dollars toward hydrogen-powered automobile research. In his exact words: Even more, I ask you to take a crucial step, and protect our environment in ways that generations before us could not have imagined. In this century, the greatest environmental progress will come about, not through endless lawsuits or command and control regulations, but through technology and innovation. Tonight I am proposing 1.2 billion dollars in research funding so that America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen-powered automobiles. A simple chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen generates energy, which can be used to power a car - producing only water, not exhaust fumes. With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom - so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free. Join me in this important innovation - to make our air significantly cleaner, and our country much less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (More info: MSNBC.com) @ 16:21 EST