Excerpt
ENERGY CONSERVATION IN THE FARM BILL As energy becomes a larger portion of a farmer's operating costs, farmers and ranchers can cut input costs, maintain production, protect soil and water resources, reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels, and save money by implementing conservation practices that promote energy conservation and efficiency. Since 1935, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America's private landowners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources. Energy conservation and energy efficiency are becoming important aspects of how NRCS delivers technical and financial assistance.
The 2002 Farm Bill expanded NRCS's role to directly address energy through the Conservation Security Program (CSP). Among the seven energy enhancements offered to CSP participants was an Energy Audit of Agricultural Operations. Unfortunately, locating local agricultural energy audit providers proved to be difficult and the low enhancement payment of $500 made offering the enhancement to farmers challenging. States such as Maryland were successful in providing on-farm energy audits to qualified CSP program participants by forming a unique partnership between federal, state, private, and nonprofit organizations. The Maryland Energy Administration, NRCS, the private farm energy efficiency consultants EnSave…
Footnotes
Amelia Gulkis is the Program Development Manager for EnSave Inc., a provider of farm energy audits and farm energy efficiency programs. Andrea Clarke is a Management Analyst for the Financial Assistance Programs Division, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington DC.
- © 2009 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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