Farm Credit Supports 25x'25 Alliance with Renewable Energy Grant
Underwriting support of national alliance helps efforts seeking national energy policy that draws solutions from nation's farm, ranches and forestlands.
Compiled by staff
Published: Dec 7, 2011
The National 25x'25 Alliance announced today that Farm Credit has committed $50,000 to help the alliance promote the energy solutions offered by our nation’s farms, ranches and forestlands, and work to build consensus on stable, comprehensive and long-term energy policies that make use of those solutions.
"The Farm Credit System’s financial performance will be directly impacted by the degree to which agricultural- and forestry- based energy solutions are integrated into America’s energy future," said Ernie Shea, 25x'25 project coordinator. "The Alliance is extremely grateful for this financial support. Farm Credit is helping to maximize the role of the agriculture and forest sectors in our nation’s evolving clean energy future."
"Farm Credit’s mission is to support agriculture and rural America, and the 25 x ’25 mission aligns with that in many ways," said Christina Bowen, national contributions director for Farm Credit.
The grant will support Alliance efforts to reframe the national energy conversation from discussions of cost and sacrifice to ones highlighting how clean energy solutions from farms, ranches and forests will create jobs, drive economic development, improve national security and provide valuable ecosystem services.
The Farm Credit grant will also help enable the Alliance continue its efforts in bringing together feedstock producers, technology providers and special interests groups to explore pathways to a clean and secure energy future.
Furthermore, Farm Credit’s support reinforces the Alliance’s efforts to overcome differences among renewable fuel groups, bioenergy feedstock providers, animal agriculture stakeholders and other natural allies that can participate and benefit from a 25x’25 future. "The grant will be critical in our work to eliminate the divisions in a sector that should be united in advocating for the food, feed, fiber, fuel solutions and environmental services that can be sustainably delivered from the land," Shea said.
About 25x'25
25x’25 is a diverse alliance of agricultural, forestry, environmental, conservation and other organizations and businesses that are working collaboratively to advance the goal of securing 25% of the nation’s energy needs from renewable sources by the year 2025. 25x’25 is led by a national steering committee composed of volunteer leaders. The 25x’25 goal has been endorsed by nearly 1,000 partners, 35 current and former governors, 15 state legislatures and the U.S. Congress through The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. 25x’25 is a special project of the Energy Future Coalition (EFC), a broad-based non-partisan public policy initiative that seeks to bring about change in U.S. energy policy to address overarching challenges related to the production and use of energy.
About Farm Credit: Lending Support to Rural America
For 95 years, Farm Credit has been a national provider of credit and related services to rural America through a cooperative network of customer-owned lending institutions and specialized service organizations. Created by Congress in 1916, the Farm Credit System provides more than $175 billion in loans and leases to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, aquatic producers, timber harvesters, agribusinesses, and agricultural and rural utility cooperatives.
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Tagged: farm, ranches, bioenergy
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