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Bush blames lab's funding shortfall on mix-upEmployees rehired before president's visit to tout energy plans
 The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, is getting back $5 million in funding. RELATEDYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSGOLDEN, Colorado (CNN) -- President Bush told workers at a renewable energy lab Tuesday that the government had sent "mixed signals" over the future of its federal funding. On the eve of Bush's visit, the Department of Energy said it had transferred $5 million to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which had funding cut and employees laid off this month due to budget shortfalls. "I recognize there have been some interesting, let me say, mixed signals when it comes to funding," the president said. (Watch what a laid off worker said about the Bush visit -- 1:10) Bush blamed a budget mix-up for the shortfall at the Golden facility, saying that sometimes when funds are appropriated, "the money may not end up where it was supposed to have gone." The president, who was ending a two-day trip to Colorado, Michigan and Wisconsin to tout his energy initiatives, told the audience he backed their research into solar, wind and other alternative technologies. (Watch for the reality check on the hydrogen cars Bush touted -- 4:06) "My message to those who work here is: We want you to know how important your work is," Bush said. "We appreciate what you're doing and we expect you to keep doing it, and we want to help you keep doing it." U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman transferred money over the weekend to restore jobs at the Colorado lab, according to a department news release. "The programs at NREL are critically important to realizing the president's vision to diversify and strengthen our nation's energy mix," Bodman said in the statement. "The action we are taking today will allow the dedicated employees at NREL to continue their work that will bring us great innovation in renewable energy technologies." According to The Associated Press, 32 workers, including eight researchers, were laid off two weeks ago at the lab. The restoration of funding left lab employees and renewable energy proponents puzzled about the motivation behind the decision. "I'm still questioning why the budget cuts even happened or why the layoffs had to happen in the first place -- like how it can happen two or three weeks later they restore the money to the budget," said Tina Larney, an employee being rehired who works with state and local governments on energy initiatives. "It makes me question ... the seriousness of the commitment [of] the administration and the government in Washington to renewable energies and moving the U.S. forward in our energy policy." The Department of Energy statement said the $5 million was transferred from other accounts and could be replaced with money from projects that "have failed to make progress." On Monday, Bush touted hybrid cars, nuclear energy, ethanol and solar power during visits to energy research facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. (Full story) Bush pushes for replacing foreign oil"Achieving energy independence will require more than rhetoric," said Dave Bowden, president of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society, a nonprofit membership organization that promotes solar energy and other renewables. Bush said Monday night that lawmakers need to work on solving the country's addiction to oil. "Of all the issues, becoming less dependent on foreign sources of energy is an issue that we ought to be able to unite and show the American people we can work together to help advance the technologies that'll change the world in which we live," Bush said at United Solar Ovonic, which makes solar panels, in Auburn Hills, Michigan, outside Detroit. Earlier in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bush also called for increased research into better batteries for hybrid and electric cars to increase dramatically the distance they can travel without using gas. In his State of the Union address last month, Bush said the United States must not rely on oil from unstable regions, including the Middle East. "The best way to break this addiction is through technology," he said, adding that technological advances will help achieve a "great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025." "By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past," said Bush, a former oil man whose father and top officials in his administration also previously held jobs in the oil industry. CNN's Ed Payne contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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