Farm Energy

“American farmers and rural businesses are successfully using the Rural Energy for America Program to leverage billions of dollars in private investment for successful new renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. These new energy projects are good for rural economies, good for the environment and good for our national energy security.” —Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)

“Rural America possesses the resources and spirit to lead our nation away from dependence on foreign oil and non-renewable sources of energy. Building on the 2002 Farm Bill efforts, the 2008 Farm Bill is now expanding opportunities for farmers, ranchers and small businesses to conserve energy and produce clean renewable energy. Programs like the Rural Energy for America Program provide the resources to transform practical ideas to save or produce energy into a reality. This kind of commonsense program will help transform rural America into an energy resource for the entire nation.” —Representative Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota)

“America needs a bold, new energy vision, and the Rural Energy for America Program can help. Our sustainable energy future must include the integration of energy efficiency and new technologies powered by clean renewable sources, such as wind, solar, biomass and biofuels. REAP funds a wide range of renewable energy projects that stimulate rural economies, help create jobs and address environmental concerns.” —Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska)

“I strongly support the Rural Energy for America Program because it is one of the only federal programs that comprehensively transforms a clean energy development vision into action across agricultural America. From the time when we created this program in the 2002 Farm Bill to the nationally successful program today, we have cemented our commitment to transition rural and agricultural America toward a future that treats energy as a strategic resource which must be conserved, protected and produced. There is no turning back. America must break its foreign fuel dependency. The science of renewable energy rests in agriculture and unlocking the full potential of the carbohydrate molecule.” —Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio)