H.R. 2454 is an attempt by Congress to create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution, and transition to a clean energy economy. Unfortunately, the legislation does not address energy intensive industries such as agriculture and the need these industries have to use energy products.
Background and Bill Highlights
Congressional leaders have been looking for ways to establish a combined efficiency and renewable electricity standard that requires utilities to supply an increasing percentage of their demand from a combination of energy efficiency savings and renewable energy. They also are pursuing a national strategy to address barriers to the commercial-scale deployment of carbon capture and sequestration. While there are various provisions of the legislation that that are supported by Grange policy, the legislation also burdens farmers with higher production costs because it does not adequately address the energy needs of agriculture and the production costs involved with producing America’s food supply.
H.R. 2454 burdens U.S. farmers with higher production costs by placing U.S. producers of key agriculture inputs such as fertilizer and petroleum products at a serious competitive disadvantage and forces even more production of these products overseas to countries with no carbon reduction policies. U.S. farmers already depend on energy imports for about 55% of their nitrogen fertilizer needs. If energy production is forced to operate overseas to countries that do not regulate carbon emissions, agriculture production costs will significantly increase. In addition, the bill does not provide farmers with the ability to recover these cost increases through the sale of carbon offset credits.
The bill as currently drafted does not recognize and support the benefits that agriculture provides reducing carbon emissions through agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) that play a key role in carbon sequestration. The coalition suggests that H.R. 2454 be amended to recognize the important role agriculture has played in protecting and restoring our environment.
Grange Policy
Energy Development
- The National Grange urges the repeal of laws and regulations that have blocked or discouraged United States’ energy production by private enterprise. We support a national energy policy that will encourage the development of all forms of domestic energy, traditional and alternative, including solar, wind, geothermal, ethanol, surf, shale, tar sands, hydroelectric, agricultural products, wastes, peat, wood, coal, coal gasification, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydrogen, biodiesel and methanol in an environmentally sound manner without exploiting our parks and wildernesses in order to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Action Needed
Please e-mail your U.S. Representative urging them to support an amendment to H.R. 2454 to recognize and support the benefits that agriculture provides reducing carbon emissions through agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) that play a key role in carbon sequestration. The coalition suggests that H.R. 2454 be amended to recognize the important role agriculture has played in protecting and restoring our environment. Please feel free to cut and paste the following sample letter. If you do not know your Representative’s e-mail address, please click here to find it.
Sample E-Mail
Dear Representative _____________,
H.R. 2454 is an attempt by Congress to create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution, and transition to a clean energy economy. Unfortunately, the legislation does not address energy intensive industries, such as agriculture and the need these industries have to use energy products.
Our domestic energy production industry is at a serious competitive disadvantage with foreign energy producers who have no carbon reduction policies. U.S. farmers already depend on energy imports for about 55% of their nitrogen fertilizer needs. If energy production is forced to operate overseas where there are no regulations on carbon emissions, agriculture production costs will significantly increase. In addition, the bill does not provide farmers with the ability to recover these cost increases through the sale of carbon offset credits. I am writing to ask for your support of an amendment to H.R. 2454 to lessen the burdens U.S. farmers face because of higher production costs resulting from imported fertilizer and petroleum products.
H.R. 2454, as currently drafted, does not recognize and support the benefits that agriculture provides in reducing carbon emissions through agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) that play a key role in carbon sequestration. I suggest that H.R. 2454 be amended to recognize the important role agriculture has played in protecting and restoring our environment. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Grange name and number
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If you have any questions or comments regarding this Action Alert, please contact National Grange Program Assistant Molly Thompson by e-mail: mthompson@nationalgrange.org, or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext. 107. Thank you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative Program.
Thank you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative Program.
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