Farm Bill Appropriations
FY2011 Appropriations Status
(August 9, 2010) – As Congress heads into the August recess, it has yet to finish next year’s Agriculture budget. Here’s the scorecard to date for key Energy Title programs:
Administration
The Obama Administration released its budget in early February, and in it the President boosts next year’s funding level for REAP to its highest level ever: $109 million. The budget adds $39.34 million of discretionary funding on top of the $70 million in “mandatory” funding in the 2008 Farm Bill.
In addition, the Obama budget provides $15 million for the Forest Biomass for Energy Program and $5 million for the Community Wood Energy Program, as authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. The Community Wood Energy Program provides grants for rural communities to install wood energy systems in community facilities. The Forest Biomass for Energy Program provides for research on use of low-value forest biomass. Neither of these programs has received any funding since their inception in the 2008 Farm Bill.
In addition, the President’s budget calls for a small increase to the Biorefinery Assistance grant and loan guarantee program, adding $17.3 million in discretionary funding.
Senate
Bypassing the subcommittee, the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved an FY11 budget on July 15 with some changes from the Administration’s proposal. For REAP, the Committee agreed with the President and added $39.34 million in discretionary funding to the $70 million in mandatory funding already slated for next year.
For the Biorefinery Assistance Program, the Committee found that most of the current funding is still available for loans and grants and therefore additional money is unnecessary. It did not provide discretionary funding for any other Energy Title programs. (Funding for the Forest Biomass for Energy Program is approved through the Interior budget, which the Committee has not yet addressed.)
House of Representatives
The House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee approved its FY11 Agriculture budget on June 30. Although the Subcommittee has not yet released any program-specific levels, we have learned that it trimmed the Administration’s REAP discretionary budget request from $39 million to $22 million, which would result in total REAP funding of $92 million. We may not have complete budget information until after the full Committee votes on the Agriculture budget, presumably sometime later this fall.
FY2009 and FY2010 Appropriations Record
You can view a table [PDF] comparing 2009 and 2010 Energy Title appropriations.
