More than 100 organizations that represent a broad range of renewable energy, farm, ranch, commodity, environmental and other groups have joined together to ask leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to reauthorize and fund energy title programs from the farm bill that revitalize rural America and improve national security and the environment. 
According to the letter, the Rural Energy for America Program, Biomass Crop Assistance Program, Biorefinery Assistance Program and Biobased Markets Program strongly support American agriculture and ensure broad public benefits to the entire country – including creating or saving thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
The letter urges Congress to provide significant mandatory funding for these vital programs so that farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses will have the benefit of dependable and predictable financial support throughout the life of the next Farm Bill.
The signatories to the letter, many working through the Ag Energy Coalition (AgEC), will continue their outreach to Agriculture Committee leaders to ensure these programs are fully reauthorized, effectively streamlined where needed, and receive strong funding as the Farm Bill is debated and reauthorized.
Senators Harkin, Conrad, Klobuchar and Franken recently introduced energy title legislation providing over $1.2 billion in funding over the next five years for these critical programs. The AgEC strongly supports their efforts.