Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee took an important step to clear the path for agricultural-based clean energy development. The Conrad-Lugar amendment that restores mandatory funding to core energy title programs of the farm bill is a big win for the nation's farmers, foresters, and rural businesses as well as the broader new energy economy, national security, and the environment. There is no question these initiatives will continue to pay off, through new jobs and businesses, increased private capital investment and reduced energy costs.
The Agriculture Energy Coalition would like to thank again Senators Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), John Thune (R-S.D.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) for their outstanding leadership. We'd also like to commend Senators Stabenow and Roberts for their tremendous efforts shepherding this complex but vitally important legislation forward.
Having passed this hurdle in Committee the bill and energy funding still have a long way to go. The Coalition will continue its work throughout the process to ensure the bill and energy title move forward and that energy programs continue to receive appropriate mandatory funding. The energy title can help the nation meet its responsibility to guarantee rural America's economic growth through renewable energy, biobased and renewable chemical manufacturing and energy efficiency.
The AgEC is a broad membership-based consortium of organizations and companies representing the entire spectrum of clean, renewable energy and bioproducts stakeholders. It includes members focused on biofeedstock production and conversion technologies, rural economic development and diversification, biofuel and renewable electricity production, biobased products, environmental protection, and others. Coalition members are committed to seeing a strong bi-partisan energy title in the 2012 farm bill that builds on the tremendous clean energy accomplishments USDA has already realized and provides resources to USDA at a level that enables them to continue and expand this important mission.
Contacts:
Agriculture Energy Coalition
Lloyd Ritter, 202-215-5512
or
Ryan
Stroschein, 202-415-5174
