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25x’25 ACTION PLAN Charting America’s Energy Future 25x’25 National Steering Committee J. Read Smith Charles Bronson Harry L. Haney, Jr. Bart Ruth St. John, WA Tallahassee, FL Alabama Consultant, nonindus- Rising City, NE (Committee Co-Chair) Commissioner, Florida De- trial private forestland manage- Corn and soybean producer; Past Wheat, small grains and cattle partment of Agriculture and ment; Emeritus professor, Depart- President, American Soybean producer; former President, Consumer Services; Member, ment of Forestry, College of Association; 2005 Eisenhower National Association of Conserva- Florida Cabinet; Member, Florida Natural Resources, Virginia Tech; Fellow for Agriculture tion Districts Governor’s Council on Effi cient Past President, Forest Landowners Government; former President, Association E. Dale Threadgill William Richards Southern Association of State Athens, GA Circleville, OH Departments of Agriculture Ron Heck Director, Faculty of Engineer- (Committee Co-Chair) Perry, IA ing, and Dept.Head, Biological & Corn and soybean producer; Bill Carlson Soybean and corn producer; Past Agricultural Engineering, Drift- former Chief, U.S. Department Redding, CA President, American Soybean mier Engineering Center, and the of Agriculture Soil Conservation Principal, Carlson Small Power Association Biorefi nery and Carbon Cycling Service Consultants; Chairman, USA Bio- Program, University of Georgia; mass Power Producers Alliance; Bill Horan Private forest landowner Duane Acker Western Governors Association Rockwell City, IA Atlantic, IA Biomass Task Force; former Mem- Corn and soybean producer; Mike Toelle Farmer; former President, Kansas ber, Biomass R&D Advisory Com- former Board Member, National Brown’s Valley, MN State University; former Assistant mittee of the US Departments of Corn Growers Association Chairman, CHS; past Director Secretary of Agriculture for Sci- Energy and Agriculture and Chairman, Country Partners ence and Education, U.S. Depart- A.G. Kawamura Cooperative; Operator, grain and ment of Agriculture Glenn English Sacramento, CA hog farm, Browns Valley Arlington, VA Orange County specialty crops, R. Bruce Arnold CEO, National Rural Electric produce grower and shipper; Gerald Vap West Chester, PA Cooperative Association; former Secretary, California Department McCook, NE Consultant, woody biomass Co-Chair, U.S. Department of of Food and Agriculture; Vice Chairman, Nebraska Public utilization for the pulp and paper Agriculture, DOE Biomass R&D Chairman, Rural Development & Service Commission; former industry; Retired Director, Pulp Federal Advisory Committee; Financial Security Policy Commit- Chairman, National Conservation Assets (worldwide), Scott Paper former Member of Congress (6th- tee, National Association of State Foundation; President, Vap Seed Company OK) 1974-1994 Departments of Agriculture & Hardware Peggy Beltrone Tom Ewing Jim Moseley Don Villwock Great Falls, MT Pontiac, IL Clarks Hill, IN Edwardsport, IN Chair, Montana’s Cascade County Chair, USDA, DOE Biomass R&D Managing Partner, Infi nity Pork, Grain and soybean producer; Commission; Member, National Federal Advisory Committee; LLC; former Deputy Secretary, President, Indiana Farm Bureau Association of Counties’ Environ- former Member of Congress U.S. Department of Agriculture; Federation; former Chairman, ment, Energy and Land Use Steer- (15th/IL) 1991-2001; Chairman, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Farm Foundation ing Committee House Agriculture Subcommit- for Natural Resources and the tee on Risk Management and Environment, U.S. Department of Sara Wyant John R. “Jack” Block Specialty Crops Agriculture St. Charles, IL Washington, DC President, Agri-Pulse Communi- Senior government advisor, Ols- Barry Flinchbaugh Allen Rider cations, Inc.; former Vice-Presi- son, Frank and Weeda; President, Manhattan, KS New Holland, PA dent of Editorial, Farm Progress wholesale division of Food Professor of Agricultural Econom- Retired President, New Holland Companies Marketing Institute; former Presi- ics, Kansas State University; North America; former Vice Presi- dent and Chief Executive Offi cer, Chairman, Commission on 21st dent, New Holland North America Ernest C. Shea Food Distributors International; Century Production Agriculture Agricultural Business Unit Lutherville, MD former Secretary of Agriculture, (Project Coordinator) 1981-1986 Robert Foster Nathan Rudgers President, Natural Resource Solu- Middlebury, VT Batavia, NY tions, LLC; former CEO, National Michael Bowman Dairy farmer, composter, anaero- Senior Vice-President, Farm Credit Association of Conservation Wray, CO bic digester; President, Vermont of Western New York; former Districts Wheat, corn and alfalfa producer; Natural Ag Products; Vice-Presi- Commissioner, New York State Steering Committee member, dent, Foster Brothers Farm Inc.; Department of Agriculture and Colorado Renewable Energy President, AgReFresh Markets; former President, Na- Forum; Rural Chair, Colorado Ag tional Association of State Depart- Energy Task Force Richard Hahn ments of Agriculture Omaha, NE Retired President, Farmers Na- tional Company The 25x’25 Action Plan was written by the 28-member 25x’25 National Steering Committee in consultation with more than 400 25x’25 Alliance partners. Though the views and recommendations in the Action Plan were drawn from re- peated consensus-seeking discussions among those 400 Alliance partners, the policy recommendations in the Plan should be attributed to the 25x’25 National Steering Committee rather than to individual Alliance partners. The 25x’25 Action Plan is also available at www.25x25.org. 25x’25 ACTION PLAN Charting America’s Energy Future Project Team 25x’25 National Steering Committee J. Read Smith, Co-Chair, William Richards, Co-Chair Ernest C. Shea, Project Coordinator Duane Acker, R. Bruce Arnold, Peggy Beltrone, John R. “Jack” Block, Michael Bowman, Charles Bronson, Bill Carlson, Glenn English, Tom Ewing, Barry Flinchbaugh, Robert Foster, Richard Hahn, Harry L. Haney, Jr., Ron Heck, Bill Horan, A.G. Kawamura, Jim Moseley, Allen Rider, Nathan Rudgers, Bart Ruth, E. Dale Threadgill, Mike Toelle, Gerald Vap, Don Villwock, Sara Wyant Work Group Staff Team Reid Detchon, Fred Deneke, Bill Eby, Peter Gage, David Gardiner, Jana Gastellum, Darlene Robbins, Rebecca Schlesinger, Kurt Shickman, Gerald Talbert, Diana Walker 25x’25 Vision By the year 2025, America’s farms, ranches and forests will provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States, while continuing to produce safe, abundant and aff ordable food, feed and fi ber. February 2007 25x’25 ACTION PLAN Charting America’s Energy Future February 2007 Table of Contents Section 1: Executive Summary 5 A Strong Coalition of Support 5 A Winning Strategy for America 5 Policy Recommendations 6 Section 2: Summary of Policy Recommendations 9 25x’25 New Funding Requirements 10 Section 3: Introduction 17 In Search of New Energy Solutions 17 The Role of Agriculture and Forestry in Meeting Our Energy Challenges 17 Section 4: Background 19 The Evolution of the 25x’25 Vision 19 The 25x’25 Goal is Ambitious, Yet Attainable 19 Section 5: Advancing the Vision 23 Moving Forward with the 25x’25 Vision 23 Foundational Principles for Getting to 25x’25 23 What Must Happen to Achieve 25x’25 24 Challenges to Meeting the 25x’25 Goal 24 Section 6: Getting to 25x’25 27 Action 1: Establish and Sustain a Commitment to a National Goal 27 Action 2: Establish and Fund Necessary Policies 28 A. Powering the Transportation Sector with Renewable Fuels 28 B. Producing Renewable Electricity 33 C. Enhancing Extended Uses and Applications of Renewable Energy 37 D. Increasing Energy Effi ciency 41 E. Protecting and Enhancing Natural Resources 44 Action 3: Engage the American Public 48 A. Launch National Public Awareness and Education Campaign 48 B. Build Partnerships and Alliances to Carry the Vision Forward 50 Section 7: A Call to Action 53 Section 8: Appendices 55 A. Glossary 55 B. Economic Study Results 60 C. Polling Data 61 D. Concurrent Resolution 62 E. Participants 63 25x’25 - America’s Energy Future 3 25x’25 - America’s Energy Future 4 Section 1: Executive Summary As the 21st century unfolds, America has an opportu- • Strengthening conservation of natural resources nity to chart a new course for its energy future – one and the environment that uses our abundant natural renewable energy re- sources1 to steer us to new economic opportunities A Strong Coalition of Support and jobs, more robust national security, and a cleaner, In consultation with the more than 400 groups that healthier environment. Our nation’s farmers, ranch- have endorsed the 25x’25 vision and have collaborat- ers and forest landowners have set a bold vision to ed in this process, the 25x’25 Steering Committee has provide solutions from the land to meet our energy assembled this plan for accelerating the transition to needs. The right policy framework is needed, howev- America’s renewable energy future. These 400 groups er, to realize the vision. make up the 25x’25 Alliance, a grassroots coalition of agricultural, forestry, business, labor, environmental and The 25x’25 Action Plan: Charting America’s Energy Fu- civic organizations working to advance renewable ener- ture, provides that policy framework and serves as a gy solutions from our nation’s farms, ranches and forests map for the public and policy makers to use in setting and other working lands, and give the plan a very broad a new course for America. The Action Plan outlines base of support. The