Ag Energy Coalition Makes Recommendations for the Next Farm Bill

August 30, 2017

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Agriculture Energy Coalition today released a white paper – Rural
America’s Role in Expanding Energy Independence, Dominance, Innovation
and Jobs: Recommendations for the New Farm Bill – urging the
Congress to support energy and rural manufacturing programs in the 2018
Farm Bill.

“Bi-partisan Farm Bill energy programs have leveraged billions of
dollars of private investment, spurred economic development, created
jobs, provided new revenue streams for producers, and spawned
technological innovation throughout rural America with a strong and
growing return on investment,” said Lloyd Ritter, Executive Director of
the Agriculture Energy Coalition. “Past Farm Bills have recognized rural
America’s potential to drive energy innovation and we urge Congress to
support a strong 2018 Farm Bill that will continue U.S. commitment to
these important programs.”

The Agriculture Energy Coalition’s recommendations for the 2018 Farm
Bill include the following:

Keep the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product
Manufacturing Assistance Program (Section 9003) funding intact and
improve opportunities for multiple resources and technologies,
including renewable chemicals;
Increase Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) funding to better
meet demand; make the program more equitable for commercially proven,
but underserved, technologies and more flexible to support ancillary
activities like energy storage;
Improve the BioPreferred program and increase funding modestly to
expand homegrown industrial biobased product development;
As it relates to crop insurance, direct USDA to more aggressively
assess opportunities for non-food energy crops, so the U.S. can lead
the world in next generation crops for energy and bioproducts;
Retain, improve, and expand the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP)
to tackle the national challenge of wildfires, particularly in the
Western U.S.; use the program as a "preventive medicine" approach to
reduce hazardous fuel loads, ultimately saving tax money used to fight
forest fires;
Improve the Rural Utilities Service statutory authority to enhance
opportunity for renewables development; and
Make other improvements and reforms, such as sunsetting the rural
repowering program or embedding it into REAP.

Ritter added, “Federal commitment to Farm Bill energy programs is vital,
particularly right now, when so many new feedstocks, processes, fuels
and technologies are on the cusp of successful commercialization and
rural America needs economic opportunities. Federal support for core
programs must be maintained.”

Read the full white paper here: http://www.agenergycoalition.org/communications/2017-AgEC-Rural-America-Energy-Innovation.pdf.

Contacts

Agriculture Energy Coalition
Lloyd Ritter, 202-215-5512