HUNDREDS OF GROUPS, COMPANIES, NON-PROFITS ASK AG COMMITTEE LEADERS TO PROTECT CLEAN ENERGY FUNDING IN FARM BILL NEGOTIATIONS WASHINGTON, DC – Today, on the inaugural National Biobased Products Day, the Agriculture Energy Coalition released a letter to Senate and House Agriculture Committee leaders signed by a diverse range of nearly 300 groups and companies. The letter urges Congress to preserve funding for farm bill energy title and other important programs provided in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act. It also asks Congress to codify in farm bill language the improvements and policy changes to existing USDA Rural Development programs that were adopted in the IRA act. “USDA’s energy, bioeconomy and RD programs enable producers and businesses alike to make essential investments in energy and rural resilience, saving consumers and producers on energy costs,” the groups write. “The 2022 funding for USDA’s unique energy programs will help rural communities get ahead diversifying energy resources while improving energy security, the environment and public health.” The letter is available for download. “At a crucial time when energy costs are driving inflation and impacting the pocketbooks of all Americans, Congress should maintain bipartisan support for rural businesses and communities to make cleaner energy more accessible and affordable,” said Lloyd Ritter, Ag Energy Coalition Executive Director. “The incentives and improvements to energy programs passed in the Inflation Reduction Act last year should be codified to further help residents in rural and disadvantaged communities breathe cleaner air and access affordable, clean energy.” “The Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant investment in America’s biofuels industry since the RFS was passed in 2007,” stated Renewable Fuels Association President & CEO Geoff Cooper. “These IRA programs and financial commitments are vital to our industry and partners and their goals in achieving a net zero production of ethanol and other sustainable renewable fuels in the near future.” Adam Warthesen, Director of Government & Industry Affairs with CROPP Cooperative, added, “Now is the time and opportunity to make renewable energy more accessible for farms and business in rural communities. The Rural Energy for America Program, for instance, is sound public policy that leverages private investment while making business more resilient. We should strive to have renewable energy on every dairy farm in America.” “Congress made historic investments in rural electrification in the Inflation Reduction Act on a scale not seen since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936,” said Erik Hatlestad, Energy Democracy Program Director at Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) and member of the Rural Power Coalition. “Maintaining and growing these resources for rural cooperatives and communities is fundamentally important.” ###
Agriculture Energy Coalition’s Post
More Relevant Posts
-
Just in time for #NationalBiobasedProductsDay: USDA has released the newest Economic Impact Analysis of the U.S. Biobased Product Industry. Among the key findings of the updated assessment, in 2021 (the latest year where data is available) biobased products: · Contributed $489 billion to the U.S. economy -- an increase of 5.1% (or $25 billion) from 2020. · Displaced 10.7 million barrels of oil equivalents. · Impacted the economy and supported jobs in every U.S. state. Worthwhile data to consider today: https://lnkd.in/ebHicHvH.
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Thanks to Jim Meadows of Illinois Public Media for covering the Agriculture Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity Act, introduced in November by Reps. Zach Nunn, R–Iowa, and Nikki Budzinski, D–Illinois. The bill has the support of biotech industry and farming organizations. AgEC’s Executive Director Lloyd Ritter said the proposed bill, along with other similar pending legislation, could help the U.S. produce more biofuels and other crop-based alternatives to products now made from petroleum. “Anything that we produce or have produced from traditional refineries for the last hundred years or so can be made by our farmers and our clean technology and biotechnology companies in rural America,” he said. The Ag BIO Act would create a grant program within the USDA Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program for construction and expansion of biorefineries. It would also expand the types of biofuels that are eligible for funding. It would provide $100 million annually over the course of five years to restore funding and continue the program through the next farm bill cycle.
The Midwest could produce more biofuels and bio-based products. A federal bill aims to help
kcur.org
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
The Ag Energy Coalition thanks Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) and endorses the Rural Energy Equity Act to improve and authorize strong funding levels for the Farm Bill's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The bill would make REAP more accessible to smaller rural businesses and farms and make the program more climate-friendly. It would simplify applications for grants and loans under $200,000, improve USDA scoring for smaller and medium-sized projects, increase the federal cost share to 50% for all projects grants and 75% for projects grants going to underserved producers, and increase the amount of funding that can be used for project development. The bill would also improve climate outcomes of the program by integrating renewable energy and energy efficiency project development assistance and by naming carbon footprint reduction as a key goal of project development assistance and regional development projects. “The Agriculture Energy Coalition applauds Chairman Welch for the introduction of the Rural Energy Equity Act. REAP is an incredibly popular program with farmers, small businesses and rural communities for good reason – it helps save money via renewable energy deployment or energy efficiency improvements, while benefiting the environment. And with the policy improvements and innovations in this legislation REAP will be even more impactful. The Coalition is particularly pleased to see support for under-utilized technologies, greater cost-share support and project development assistance, as well as a higher loan guarantee for renewable distributed generation,” said Lloyd Ritter, Coalition Director. https://lnkd.in/eg_5DgRx
Welch Introduces Bill to Improve REAP Program for Small Farms and Businesses and Make it More Climate-Friendly - Welch
https://www.welch.senate.gov
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
AG ENERGY COALITION APPLAUDS CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR USDA LOAN AND GRANT FUNDING WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC) welcomed a letter signed by 24 Members of Congress that urges House Agriculture Committee leaders to preserve the funding for USDA’s Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE), Empowering Rural America (New ERA), and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provided in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. AgEC applauded Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) for leading the letter and all Democratic members of the House Agriculture Committee. “USDA's popular energy and bioeconomy loan and grant programs are in great demand by farmers, coops and small businesses. They are urgently needed to assist farms and rural communities transition to clean, affordable energy,” said Lloyd Ritter, AgEC Executive Director. “The Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE), Empowering Rural America (New ERA), and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) are each seeing record applications and funding requests. These programs must remain fully funded to keep humming along as Congress moves forward with the Farm Bill and appropriations.” The letter notes USDA received: A record 750 initial applications to the New ERA program. The proposals from nearly every state that hosts rural electric cooperatives request more than $43 billion to support a total $100 billion in rural clean energy investments. 803 project proposals for the PACE program worth $12 billion to build clean energy assets in rural communities. A 1000% increase in Fiscal Year 2023 requests for REAP grant, loan, and technical assistance awards. The letter is available on Rep. Caraveo’s website: https://lnkd.in/e5U22SbD
Congresswoman Caraveo Leads House Ag Dems Pressing to Protect IRA Programs For Rural Development in Farm Bill
caraveo.house.gov
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Quoting Lloyd Ritter
From marc heller at E&E News: Republicans want to cut rural energy program they once loved "Cutting REAP 'would be penny wise and pound foolish,' Lloyd Ritter, director of the Agriculture Energy Coalition, said in an email. 'REAP grants are incredibly impactful for farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses, helping their bottom line and environment,' Ritter said. 'A federal default on this partnership would translate into the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in private-sector investments and jobs for rural communities,' he added. 'Rural America can’t afford it.'" Read the whole story: https://lnkd.in/eSZ5B6-T
Republicans want to cut rural energy program they once loved
https://www.eenews.net
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 18, 2023 AG ENERGY COALITION OPPOSES CUTS TO REAP, NEW ERA IN AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC) voiced opposition to proposed cuts to crucial agriculture programs in draft fiscal year 2024 appropriations for Agriculture and Rural Development. The draft bill would slash agriculture, nutrition and rural development program funding by more than a third – fully $9 billion below 2023 funding. The agriculture community has not seen support levels this low since 2006. “USDA’s Rural Development programs enable rural communities and businesses alike to make essential investments in affordable, reliable, clean energy while improving energy security, the environment, public health and helping all of America address climate change,” said Lloyd Ritter, Ag Energy Coalition Executive Director. “Congress made historic investments in agriculture and rural electrification programs last year. Maintaining and growing resources for rural communities is fundamentally important to ensure all Americans have equal access to clean energy.” “The Rural Energy for America Program is sound public policy that has helped more than 20,000 farms and rural businesses access affordable, renewable energy and energy efficiency systems,” Ritter continued. “The popularity of this program has left some technologies underutilized and underfunded. REAP grants and loans are in demand across rural America and have brought particular benefit to farmers, ranchers, dairy and other rural businesses.” In the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress provided much-needed funding for the oversubscribed Rural Energy for America Program, including dedicated funding for underutilized technologies. Congress also provided historic funding for rural electrification that is supported by NRECA and the Rural Power Coalition; USDA this week announced funding availability for the New ERA program. The draft legislation would rescind funding for those programs. AgEC particularly opposes the following provisions of the bill: · Section 722: rescinds $500 million of unobligated funds made available through the Inflation Reduction Act for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). · Section 733: rescinds $3.25 billion of unobligated funds made available through the Inflation Reduction Act for USDA assistance to Rural Electric Cooperatives. ### The Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC) represents a diverse set of interests in agriculture and renewable energy, including farmers, advanced biofuel and bio-based manufacturers, clean tech, rural lenders, and environmental NGOs.
To view or add a comment, sign in
16 followers