A coalition of nearly 50 trade groups and organizations representing renewable energy, energy efficiency, farm, and forest interests is urging leaders of the House Agriculture and Senate Agriculture Committees to include an energy title in any new Farm Bill legislation. A $23 billion reduction in funding has been proposed to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction by the committees for USDA programs, but no details have yet been decided.

In a letter to the leadership, the recently formed Agriculture Energy Coalition noted that programs in the Energy Title of the 2008 Farm Bill “have helped finance thousands of diverse renewable energy projects and improved energy efficiency at farms, ranches and businesses across rural America.”

“Agriculture has an indispensible role to play in our nation’s emerging clean energy economy. It is vital that we develop and commercialize a variety of clean, abundant, renewable energy resources and biobased products, and Farm Bill energy programs are crucial to achieving that goal,” said coalition co-director Lloyd Ritter.

Among the members of the coalition are the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy.