Farm Energy » Publications and Resources

Farm Energy Success Stories Report Released

pgray@elpc.org — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:03:54 +0000

A new report from the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) unearths the stories of farmers and rural small businesses that are making clean energy their newest cash crop.

Farm Energy Success Stories highlights clean energy projects that were made possible with grants and loan guarantees from the Farm Bill’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

Download an electronic version of the report here.

For a hard copy, send a request with your full information contact to ELPC.

WTO Legal Impacts on Commodity Studies

pgray@elpc.org — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:17:25 +0000

This ELPC report WTO Legal Impacts on Commodity Subsidies finds that the WTO legal ruling on commodity subsidies may provide opportunity to gain support for farm-based natural resources conservation and clean energy development programs. (.pdf file)

Mitigating Global Warming through the Farm Bill

pgray@elpc.org — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:14:23 +0000

Mitigating Global Warming through the Farm Bill is the first study to examine the potential greenhouse gas savings of the Farm Bill Energy Title. The study shows that renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in the U.S. Farm Bill could reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 57 million metric tons a year – the equivalent of eliminating the pollution from over 11 million cars.

The programs in the Energy Title encourage development of farm-based and rural renewable power generation, biofuels facilities and energy efficiency projects that provide low-carbon energy alternatives. The Energy Title’s capacity to reduce greenhouse gas pollution depends on adequate funding. The study assumes funding of at least $1 billion a year, or $5 billion over the five-year life of the legislation, which is less than 2% of the total Farm Bill Budget. Download Mitigating Global Warming through the Farm Bill here. (pdf)

Repowering the Midwest

pgray@elpc.org — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:12:00 +0000

The Clean Energy Development Plan for the Heartland will shift the region’s electricity portfolio from an over-reliance on polluting coal to and nuclear plants to cleaner fuels. The plan points the way toward implementation of smart policies and practices to capture readily achievable environmental, public health and economic development benefits. This sustainable development strategy makes both good environmental and economic sense for our region. Clean energy development will reduce pollution, improve reliability by diversifying our power supply and create new green manufacturing and installation jobs, as well as provide new renewable energy “cash crops” for farmers. Repowering the Midwest is a plan to seize these opportunities.

Download the report [pdf file].

State reports: We also have reports on Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

An American Success Story: The Farm Bill’s Clean Energy Programs

pgray@elpc.org — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:07:57 +0000

This very popular ELPC report highlights some of the innovative projects that received funding through the 2002 Farm Bill’s Section 9006 Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency Program (now called REAP). The 2002 Farm Bill created programs to help farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses invest in wind power, biofuels, solar power, energy efficiency improvements and other clean energy technologies. These programs offer substantial grants and loan guarantees to jump-start clean energy projects.

Click here to download the full report dated January 2008 [pdf file], and visit here to read about the REAP success stories in the report and new stories added since the report’s publication.

Community Wind Financing Handbook

pgray@elpc.org — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:06:50 +0000

ELPC’s newly updated Community Wind Financing Handbook is now available! This hot-off-the-press guide reflects new financing opportunities available from federal energy and economic stimulus legislation, the new Farm Bill, and state incentives.

Since ELPC published the first edition of the Community Wind Financing Guide in 2004, wind power has become the United States’ fastest-growing source of electricity. Community wind projects, which represent a small but growing share of the wind market, are largely owned by farmers and other local investors with a significant economic stake in the project. Such local ownership generates powerful economic and social benefits for rural areas.

The updated Handbook provides the latest information on financing community wind projects, including ownership structures, roles of financial intermediaries, sources of federal and state financial support and consultant/developer directories. Although building these projects has become somewhat easier over time, understanding and accessing financing opportunities remains perhaps the most important requirement for a successful project. Download the Community Wind Financing Handbook.[pdf file]

Wind Power Development in South Dakota

Mark — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:01:04 +0000

Wind power is the fastest growing source of electricity generation in the United States. In a recent report, ELPC summarizes South Dakota’s embryonic wind industry, the many benefits of the industry, and offers policy solutions to expand wind development and maximize the benefits for all South Dakotans.

Most new wind new capacity is coming from large projects of 50 megawatts or more, typically owned by strategic investors who have developed or acquired a portfolio of projects. As wind power generation continues to grow, these large projects and experienced developers will likely continue to dominate wind power development. At the same time, there has been a growing interest in community wind power development. While the notion of community wind varies, these projects are generally smaller scale (less than 20 MW), and are locally initiated and owned.

Click here to download the full report [pdf file].