Bipartisan Senators seek expanded renewable fuels in next Farm Bill

In Washington, as the Senate prepares to begin work on the 2018 Farm Bill, U.S Senator Tina Smith told the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee that expanded use of renewable fuels and increased investment in rural energy programs will be key to creating jobs and reviving the nation’s lagging farm economy.

In a letter Monday to Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Smith, led a bipartisan group of  a committee members in calling for improvements and strong funding in the program’s that make up the Energy section of the Farm Bill when the legislation is taken up in the coming days.

Renewable electricity, biomanufacturing, and energy efficiency programs have been core parts of the Farm Bill for nearly two decades. These important programs represent only a small fraction of the bill’s costs, but they generate large returns—more than $5 billion since their introduction.