Thursday, April 26, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ELPC Commends Senate Agriculture Committee Support of Homegrown Energy
WASHINGTON – The Senate Agriculture Committee took an important step to support America’s farmers, renewable homegrown energy, rural development and national security by funding core energy programs through a Farm Bill amendment passed today.
“We commend Chairwoman Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and the bipartisan group of 11 Senators who supported a bipartisan amendment supporting mandatory funding for programs that reduce dependence on polluting fossil fuels and help farmers cut energy costs and produce innovative renewable energy for America,” said Andy Olsen, Senior Policy Advocate with the Environmental Law & Policy Center.
“The state of the economy and our continuing energy challenges underscore the need for programs like the REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) and BCAP (Biomass Crop Assistance Program) which generate rural development and provide a safety net to farmers,” Olsen said.
“We thank the energy title supporters, Senators Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) for their support of an Energy Title amendment that provides mandatory funding of these core energy programs,” Olsen added.
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The Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest’s leading environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization.