25x'25 Summit pressures U.S. Congress to act

The 25x'25 alliance held its 3rd annual summit at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington D.C. packing numerous networking opportunities between solid conference sessions, stimulating speeches, and advocacy education. After a congressional breakfast held on Capitol Hill, attendees fanned out to contact their local congressmen about the needs of a concerned nation for agriculture and forestry policy legislation and reforms that will enable renewable energy to flourish.

At the heart of the summit is the 25x'25 Action Plan (see below). A detailed summary of the presentations is available for review and comment at the 25x'25 blog site.

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25x'25 Action Plan: Charting America's Energy Future

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 fiber.

(T)he 25x’25 Steering Committee has assembled the following recommendations for accelerating the transition to America’s renewable energy future:

• Increasing production of renewable energy
• Delivering renewable energy to markets
• Expanding renewable energy markets
• Improving energy effi ciency and productivity
• Strengthening conservation of natural resources and the environment

To deliver the economic, security and environmental benefits of renewable energy to all Americans, 25x’25 is proposing that the government increase funding for programs to meet the 25x’25 goal by $13 billion annually and $66 billion over the next fi ve years. This taxpayer investment in renewable energy will yield substantial benefi ts for all Americans by putting the country on the path to create $700 billion in new economic development, reducing dependence on imported oil by 10 percent and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 1 billion tons.

"The 25x'25 Plan provides constructive ideas that Congress should consider, and I am proud to support its objectives." --Senator Lugar

"Any good plan that cleans up our air, secures our energy supply, helps make us energy independent and puts a few bucks in the back pockets of farmers and ranchers deserves our attention." --Senator Tester

"Helping the United States becoming more focused on home-grown, renewable energy and less reliant on foreign sources of oil is one of the most important things Congress will work on this year." --Senator Grassley

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