Renewable Energy Leaders, Agricultural Producers Urge Congress to Include
Energy Title in New Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 21, 2011) – A
coalition of nearly 50 trade groups and organizations representing renewable
energy, energy efficiency, farm, and forest interests today wrote leaders of the
House Agriculture and Senate Agriculture Committees to urge inclusion of a
robust energy title in any new Farm Bill legislation. The Congressional
committees earlier this week proposed a reduction of $23 billion in funding for
programs under USDA jurisdiction to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit
Reduction, but they did not provide details on how these cuts would impact
individual programs under their jurisdiction.
“The innovative programs authorized in the Energy Title of the 2008 Farm Bill
… have helped finance thousands of diverse renewable energy projects and
improved energy efficiency at farms, ranches and businesses across rural
America,” the letter stated. “As longstanding agricultural safety net programs
come under increasing budgetary pressure, these energy programs will continue to
grow and diversify the rural economy.”
The letter was spearheaded by the recently formed Ag Energy Coalition, a
diverse group of renewable energy, agriculture, environmental, and rural
development groups that have come together to support the important energy
programs contained in the Farm Bill, defend their funding in the appropriations
process, and make policy recommendations to Congress and USDA on how to make the
programs more effective and impactful.
Ag Energy Coalition Co-director Lloyd Ritter stated, “Agriculture has an
indispensible role to play in our nation’s emerging clean energy economy. It is
vital that we develop and commercialize a variety of clean, abundant, renewable
energy resources and biobased products, and Farm Bill energy programs are
crucial to achieving that goal. They also have the potential to be a
game-changer for rural economies across the country, adding many thousands of
jobs in the coming years. For these reasons, we are urging Congress to properly
fund these programs through the life of the next Farm Bill.”
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President & CEO Jim Greenwood
added, “The United States is a leader in biotechnology innovation and
agricultural productivity. With these advantages, we can lead the world in
producing energy, biofuels, chemicals and materials from renewable resources. By
doing so we can create new markets for agricultural goods and new jobs in rural
America, where they’re needed most. A robust energy title is needed to support
growers and land owners in the sustainable production of new energy crops for
biorefineries and bioenergy.”
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said, “Renewable energy is the
future of American agriculture and strengthens energy security for our country.
These farm bill programs are vital to promoting the next generation of biofuels
and spurring investment in renewable energy technologies.”
“When REAP helps a farmer or rural business install a wind turbine to lower
their operating costs, taxpayers get lower cost foods and services, American
manufacturing and construction jobs, and better air quality. We believe
substituting American jobs for imported fuel is the smart way to rebuild our
economy. REAP is leading that revolution in rural energy,” stated Mike Bergey,
President of the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA).
Michael McAdams, the President of the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA),
stated, “Now is the time for America to step up and truly compete with other
governments around the world if we expect to break our addiction to foreign oil.
These programs are helping drive us to the day that we deliver advanced and
cellulosic replacement fuels to consumers across the country pulling up to their
neighborhood gas stations, while equipping our armed forces with high
performance fuels that will enhance our national security for generations to
come. This is an area of too much promise for creating jobs, and providing
economic and energy security for our nation to let it fall victim to the budget
cutting ax now being wielded about on Capitol Hill.”
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