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Working with
farmers, ranchers and rural communities to produce clean energy
May 2003 – Issue #3 | Archive
Washington biofuel bills passage first Harvesting
Clean Energy Action Plan victory
In
the first legislative victory for the Harvesting Clean Energy Action
Network, the Washington Legislature has passed a package of bills
to build biodiesel and ethanol markets. The Washington package
provides tax incentives for biofuels and mandates use of biofuels
by public agencies. Those actions were among a series of steps
to build rural clean energy production called for in the Harvesting
Clean Energy Action Plan created by the Network. [Read
more...]
Oregon Biofuels Legislation Advances
Two key pieces of legislation introduced by Oregon Rep. Jeff Kropf are about to emerge from committee on their way to a floor vote. The first expands Oregon's property tax exemption on ethanol plants to include biodiesel, biolubricant and oilseed crushing plants. The second extends pollution control income tax credits to equipment for production of biofuels and biolubricants. [Read More...]
Skykomish Valley dairy farmers and native tribes are finding biogas is a win for everyone. Farmers and the Tulalip Tribe together will build an anaerobic digester that will let farmers manage their manure while preserving clean water for salmon and a healthy farm economy that keeps the valley from being subdivided. Read the Seattle Post-Intelligencer story here.
About 30 people from across Montana participated May 1-3 in a bus tour aimed at exploring the potential economic, national security, and environmental opportunities that the wind and biofuel industries have to offer Montana farmers and ranchers. [Read More...]
The first-ever Energy Title in the federal Farm Bill passed last year is beginning to bear fruit, $44 million worth. USDA Rural Development has now announced availability of $23 million in Section 9006 grant funds - Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements. Through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative $21 million in grants are now available for research, development and demonstrations on biobased products and energy. For AgWeb report click here. For a factsheet from Environmental and Energy Study Institute on applying for Section 9006 funds, click here.
Fax Congress on Farm Bill energy funding
Now is time to weigh in on 2004 spending levels for Farm Bill Energy Title programs. You can use a web-based fax system to send letters to all members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee in support of the Farm Bill's energy provisions. This subcommittee has the pivotal responsibility of recommending spending levels for these important programs, possibly in the next few weeks. [Read More...]
America has the potential to generate four times its current electricity generation from windpower, geothermal and biomass, according to a new report released today by U.S. PIRG. The report shows that a national standard increasing the use of renewable energy to 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply by 2020 would benefit the economy by creating three to five times as many jobs as a similar investment in fossil fuels. For more on the national report click here.
The U.S. PIRG report also contains factsheets outlining clean energy potential in 35 states including Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
Montana has the 7th highest wind potential in the nation, while Oregon ranks 3rd in geothermal potential. Northwest benefits of a national 20% renewables standard would include $7 billion invested in new renewable generation, $100 million in lease payments to rural landowners and $400 million in new property tax revenues.
A new poll of farmers by the American Corn Growers Association reveals that 78% favor state government actions to build up windpower, 82% want rural electric coops to support windpower, and 89% want farmers, industry and public institutions to promote wind power as an alternative energy source. Read the full story from Agriculture Online News.
The Harvesting Clean Energy Network now has its first full-time staff person. Peter Moulton was recently named by Climate Solutions as Harvesting Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator. Moulton will oversee growth and development of the Network, and will become editor of the Harvesting Clean Energy Bulletin and the www.harvestcleanenergy.org website. He will also coordinate Climate Solutions contributions to the Our Wind Co-op, an effort to site small-scale wind turbines on rural sites. [Read More...]
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