Call for Support of Wisconsin Clean Energy Jobs Act

Posted on March 18, 2010 by in Policy, Sustainability // 0 Comments

From the Michael Fields Agriclutural Institute: The Wisconsin State Legislature is now considering the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which contains programs that would make Wisconsin a leader in clean energy, stimulate rural economies and create new jobs. But these programs will only become a reality if our state legislators hear from us! Opponents to clean energy legislation are mobilizing in the Capitol to oppose this bill. Now is the time to let legislators know that these policies will help Wisconsin – and help you! The bill has great initiatives in it for agriculture and our rural economies, including:

Energy Crop Reserve Program
Renewable Energy Buyback Program
Low Carbon Fuel Standard

Show your support for the Clean Energy Jobs Act by calling your State Senator and Representative and telling them that this bill supports farmers and rural economies and creates new jobs. It’s easy to find out who your State Senator and Representative are here Calling is simple.

Tell your legislators or their aides that you support the Energy Crop Reserve Program, the Renewable Energy Buyback Program, and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard within the Clean Energy Jobs Act
If you can, explain how these policies will help you, your farm, or your business

Here’s some more information on these three great initiatives in the Clean Energy Jobs Act for rural communities:

Energy Crop Reserve Program

The Energy Crop Reserve Program would award contracts to farmers to establish native perennials, which farmers can then harvest and sell for bioenergy production. This policy will ensure that farmers and landowners can continue to make profits from their working lands as they transition to the production of biofuels, while jumpstarting the biomass industry in Wisconsin.

Advanced Renewable Energy Tariffs

This program, also called a Renewable Energy Buyback Program, would set payments to utility customers who want to “feed” renewable energy into the electric grid, enabling farmers and rural businesses to help Wisconsin become more energy independent with smaller scale biopower, wind and solar. Right now, buyback rates vary all over the state, and certain utilities don’t offer buyback rates at all. Legislation to establish consistent Advanced Renewable Energy Tariffs will ensure that homeowners, farmers, schools, churches and small businesses who generate excess renewable energy can count on stable payments from their utility.

Low-Carbon Fuel Standard

An LCFS is a market-based approach to promoting the cleanest, low-carbon fuels for Wisconsin. Biofuels are big winners under an LCFS, and Wisconsin’s abundant natural resources and crops like switchgrass put our state in a position to capture this rapidly developing clean energy market. An LCFS would also help insulate us from the fluctuating oil prices we see now caused by our over-reliance on foreign fuel sources.

If you would like more information, please contact Bridget Holcomb, MFAI’s Associate Policy Director, at Bridget@MichaelFieldsAgInst.org or at (608) 256-1859.