Energy Policy

Date: 7/07
Position Number: I-D-2
Expires: 3/08

Background: Energy sources are a primary consideration for U.S. agriculture’s competitive advantage. Agriculture should be included as a source of energy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Resolution/Position:

1. Promote a national energy policy that by developing domestic energy supplies while displacing foreign oil reduces our dependence on foreign oil and ensures national energy security with environmentally friendly, domestically produced natural resources, renewable resources including ethanol and its derivatives.
2. Support programs and policies to ensure priority availability of all forms of energy at reasonable and stable prices for production, transportation, processing and marketing of agricultural products.
3. Oppose additional federal taxes on fuel used in production agriculture.
4. Support continuation of the electrical loan programs of the Rural Utilities Service in agricultural areas.
5. Oppose the privatization of Rural Public Power Districts.
6. Support cost competitive alternative energy sources in the production of electricity.
7. Oppose any regulatory or legislative measure that would increase the cost of electricity.
8. Oppose regulations for electric utility restructuring that would shift costs from large industrial users to farm and residential users.
9. Support expanded domestic production and construction of infrastructure and also increased efficiencies for natural gas and other energy resources including finding more U.S. reserves by drilling in ANWR, coastal plains or other potential domestic locations.
10. Support the expansion of the biofuels industry by increasing the RFS to 25 billion gallons by 2025 (of that 15 billion should be corn based by 2015), which should be considered only as the “floor.”
11. Resolve to work to insure the best rules possible for corn growers and the ethanol industry for implementation of a Renewable Fuels Standard.
12. Support efforts to use corn derived renewable feed stock for the production of electricity and other forms of energy.
13. Support authorization and full funding of $150 million for the Commodity Credit Corporation Bioenergy program to be used for renewable fuel ventures that are greater than 50% farmer-owned.
14. We support one to one credit for any renewable fuel not specifically designated for original credits in the Energy Policy of 2005.
15. Support the use of bio-fuels and lubricants by federal, state and local government-owned vehicles.
16. We support moving beyond the national Renewable Fuels Standard to promote a more aggressive energy policy that would move the United States closer to energy independence.
17. Work to increase E85 infrastructure tax credit established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to 50% of the cost of installing new E85 infrastructure up to $60,000 with the provision included that more than one pump per location or per company can be covered under this program.
18. We support NCGA’s active participation in the 25X25 initiative, ensuring the corn industry’s interests are well represented.
19. Government research dollars should include corn and corn fiber as a significant biomass feedstock in the production of biofuels.
20. Government policy, taxes and programs should not differentiate in the distribution and retail marketing of ethanol derived from different biomass feedstocks.