President Obama will visit Michigan State University tomorrow to sign the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, better known as the Farm Bill. While political controversies surrounding agricultural subsidies and food stamps get most of the media attention, the Farm Bill also plays a significant role in shaping and funding US energy programs. The Farm Bill’s Energy Title, for example, contains $881 million to support programs like the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP), which since 2008 has supported 6,600 wind, solar, bioenergy and hydroelectric projects in all 50 states. These projects employ 15,000 people and generate or save more than 7.3 billion kilowatt hours of electricity – enough to power 680,000 US homes each annually. Other energy programs in the Farm Bill include providing crop insurance for crops used to make biofuels, and a Biomass Research and Development Initiative, among a number of others. Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee and was a leader in the two-years of negotiations to ensure congressional approval of the new Farm Bill, which will be in effect for the next five years.
Source: MiEIBC