The agricultural sector must play both a political and substantive role in successful climate change mitigation strategy.  Our ultimate goal remains to “change the climate” for action on climate change by engaging agricultural stakeholders and members of Congress.  To accomplish this goal, we must convince these stakeholders that climate change mitigation need not be an economic burden on rural America , but can in fact be the greatest economic windfall the nation’s farmers have seen in decades.  EESI works to enlist the help of farm groups, state energy offices, economic development officials, and the environmental community in this effort.  All of these stakeholders have a vested interest in this endeavor, as developing rural America ’s renewable resources will not only help to address climate change, but will also provide new revenue streams for farmers, create jobs for rural communities, and help the nation reduce dependence on fossil fuels, thereby reaping environmental and public health benefits.


Since EESI began its Agriculture and Energy project, significant advances have been made in promoting farm-based renewable energy and energy efficiency.  Congress has enacted a new Energy Title in the 2002 Farm Bill, which contains a variety of incentives to help farmers develop their renewable energy resources.  EESI played a very substantial role in crafting this legislation, and we have worked diligently to educate farmers, state and local officials, and farm groups about these new opportunities.  As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implements these programs, we are working hard to ensure these same stakeholders are aware of every opportunity for public comment and participation in the rule-making process. 

On the policy front, the 107^th Congress was unable to reach agreement on a comprehensive energy bill.  The new Congress has resumed the debate, and several policies of importance to our goals are under debate, including a Renewable Fuels Standard and renewal and expansion of the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy. 

Recent policy and educational objectives include the following:

• Extension of the renewable energy Production Tax Credit, and expansion of the credit to include “open-loop” biomass

• Enactment of a Renewable Fuel Standard requiring a minimum percentage of motor vehicle fuels sold to be renewable biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel), along with a phase-out of MTBE, which has polluted groundwater nationwide;

• Implementation of the 2002 Farm Bill Energy Title’s programs and ensuring their full funding in the FY04, FY05, FY06, FY07 appropriations process; and

• Education of agricultural stakeholders and policymakers on the role that the agricultural sector can play in the transition away from a fossil fuel-based economy toward a bio-based economy.