One Hundred-Plus Groups Urge Support for Farm Bill Energy Programs

EESI has joined with more than one hundred national, regional and state organizations in calling on Congress to reauthorize and fund key energy programs in the next Farm Bill.

In an April 5 letter to Congress, a diverse group of agriculture, environmental, energy, and industrial organizations (including EESI) called on Congress "to ensure the vital Energy Title programs are re-authorized and afforded significant mandatory funding over the life of the legislation. Helping to grow the economy in these relatively inexpensive, but transformative ways will help ease the fiscal challenge in the years ahead while also addressing other critical national challenges."

Signatories ranged from many state environmental councils, to agricultural producer and farm groups, to bioenergy organizations, to trade associations representing the airlines and biotechnology industries. The broad geographic distribution represented by the signatories shows how important bioenergy and other renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives have become for people across the United States – from the northeast to the northwest, and from the upper midwest to the deep south.

As reported in previous SBFF posts here and here , the House and Senate agriculture committees are accelerating their work on draft Farm Bill legislation, and, as reported last week, on March 29, several senators introduced a bill to reauthorize and fund key programs in the 2008 Farm Bill energy title.

The Ag Energy Coalition, which organized the sign on letter, is continuing to accept organizational endorsements for future releases of the letter. If your national, regional or state organization would like to sign on, please click here .