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Nebraska Farmers Union |
1305
Plum Street • Lincoln, NE 68502 Contact
John Hansen Office: 402-476-8815, Fax: 402-476-8859, Cell: 402-890-8608 |
NEFU APPLAUDS
GOVERNORS’ ETHANOL COALITION FARM
BILL
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
May
18, 2007
Lincoln,
NE. Nebraska Farmers Union President
John Hansen said, “We applaud the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition for their
leadership in advocacy for renewable energy development. Their recommendations to Congress to
establish new programs in the Farm Bill to spur the development of farm based
renewable energy are very helpful and practical guidance towards expanding
renewable energy development. ”
Hansen
said the three key opportunities identified in the letter sent to the House and
Senate Agriculture Committees by Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, who chairs
the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition represent the building blocks for the
renewable energy crops of tomorrow.
The
Governors’ Ethanol Coalition three key recommendations included:
- Establish a USDA based
competitive program to pay farmers to plant bioenergy crops.
- Establish a low carbon
renewable fuel loan guarantee program to help reduce the capital costs for
the building of new low-carbon renewable fuel production facilities.
- Support research for
the expanded utilization of current ethanol production, including
production of distiller’s grains that can be used for hogs and other
livestock.
John
Hansen, who also serves as the Chair of the National Farmers Union’s
Legislative Committee, is actively engaged in the 2007 Farm Bill
development. “The Governors’ Ethanol
Coalition has given the House and Senate Ag Committees a solid set of
recommendations to help take ethanol development to the next level. Renewable energy is good for the
environment, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and is good for rural
America.”
Hansen
said, “The value of the national corn crop in 2005 was $22.19 billion. Thanks to increased ethanol development and
utilization, corn prices went up substantially. The value of the 2006 corn crop was $33.83 billion. That increase of $11.6 billion in
market-based revenue created more jobs, more local, state, and federal tax
revenues, and also reduced the cost of federal farm programs. Renewable energy done right is also rural
economic development at its best,” Hansen said.
Hansen,
who testified recently before the Senate Agriculture Committee on conservation
issues said, “I know that both Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin
and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson are both big believers
in ethanol and renewable energy. They
support renewable energy, the problem they face is finding funding for new
programs.”
“Nebraska
is well served by the advocacy efforts of the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition
work,” Hansen said. “Our state is
fortunate to have Governor Dave Heineman serving as the Chairman of the
Governors’ Ethanol Coalition, which includes 37 states. His chairmanship puts our state in a strong
position to help move the strategic economic interests of our state forward,”
Hansen concluded.
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