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New Energy Programs in House Passed Farm Bill
On July 27, 2007, the House of Representatives passed, with a of vote 231-191,The Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (H.R. 2419). The bill includes new investments in conservation, nutrition, specialty crops (fruit and vegetable) and energy production. Furthermore, the Committee also approved language that will allow full implementation of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for meat in the Farm Bill and also making additional changes to the farm subsidy program. The bill includes what the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says is a “critical first step toward reform.”
The bill proceeded to the floor following the Committee’s unanimously approval last week after long nights of debate and compromise. Before the House could start debate on this bipartisan bill, the House Rules Committee allowed controversial provisions to be added to offset the increased funding for nutrition and energy programs. The House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Rep. Goodlatte (R-VA) then stated, “This is partisan politics in its rawest form and Agriculture Committee Republicans will stand against it [the bill],” – causing the bill to lose bipartisan support, which is uncommon for a Farm Bill.
Once on the House Floor, several amendments were introduced on commodity, nutrition, conservation and energy programs. One controversial amendment, called the Fairness in Farm and Food Policy amendment, was offered by Rep. Kind (D-WI). This amendment would have reformed the farmer safety net in several different ways while also providing increased funding for nutrition, conservation, and specialty crops; it was voted down 117-309. Several other amendments, including energy amendments, were rolled together and passed.
The bill includes several extensions to the 2002 Farm Bill Energy Title and many new energy and energy efficiency programs. Programs include loan guarantees for biorefineries, grants for internships in bioenergy, woody-biomass energy research and demonstration, a study on ethanol pipeline feasibility, and several other biomass and renewable energy related programs.
See the chart below for a list of the Energy Title provisions included in the H.R. 2419 (new programs in bold):
- Federal procurement of biobased products.
- Loan guarantees for biorefineries and biofuel production plants.
- Energy audit and renewable energy development program.
- Renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements.
- Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000.
- Adjustments to the bioenergy program.
- Research, extension, and educational programs on biobased energy (Sun Grants).
- Energy Council of the Department of Agriculture.
- Farm energy production pilot program.
- Rural energy self-sufficiency initiative.
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- Agricultural biofuels from biomass internship pilot program.
- Feedstock flexibility program for bioenergy producers (sugar).
- Biomass inventory report.
- Future farmsteads program.
- Sense of Congress on renewable energy.
- Biodiesel Education Program.
- Biomass Energy Reserve.
- Forest Biomass for Energy.
- Supplementing Corn as an Ethanol Feedstock (sorghum provision).
- Community Wood Energy Program.
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Click here for information on the offsets
Click here for more information on amendments and the bill
PDF of this release
If
you have questions, please email or call
Jetta Wong
at jwong@eesi.org or
(202) 662-1885.
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The
Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a
non-profit organization that works at the nexus of policy and
innovation to promote environmentally sustainable societies.
EESI was founded in 1984 by a bipartisan group of
Congressional Members dedicated to finding environmental and
energy solutions. EESI provides credible, timely
information and innovative policy ideas through coalition
building, media outreach, publications, briefings, workshops
and task forces on the issues of energy efficiency and
renewable energy, transportation, smart growth, agriculture
and global climate change. Carol Werner leads the EESI
team as executive director.
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