Leaders from a broad alliance of agricultural, energy, environmental, business and labor groups recently rolled out a set of specific recommendations for reaching an ambitious renewable energy goal: 25 percent of the nation’s energy supply from renewable sources by 2025. Members of the 25x’25 Alliance were at the recent Commodity Classic to answer questions and discuss goals with members of the agriculture industry.

The 25x’25 Action Plan: Charting America’s Energy Future was written by the 28-member 25x’25 Steering Committee based on the consensus reviews and policy recommendations of the more than 400 organizations that have endorsed the 25x’25 vision.

The Action Plan, which was presented to Congressional leaders, contains 35 specific recommendations that “would cost just five percent of what America spent on imported oil in 2006 and would result in a dramatic increase in new jobs and economic activity, along with significant reductions in oil consumption and global warming emissions.”

The recommendations include expanded research and development for cellulosic biofuels and long-term incentives for renewable electricity generation; new infrastructure for expanding delivery of renewable fuels and renewable energy; new program to ensure increased availability of flex-fueled cars; a new requirement for use of renewable energy by the federal government; new mechanisms for renewable energy credit trading among states, and new funding for renewable energy systems.