C22—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 31,1980
Committee earmarks $1.2
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A
Senate-House Conference
Committee Tuesday ap
proved a modified version of
a plan sponsored by Sen.
Herman E. Talmadge to
provide |1.2 billion
assistance in the next two
years to rush production of
energy from renewable farm
and forest materials.
The Conference Com
mittee, which has been
working since last
December to reconcile
House and Senate dif
ferences in the Energy
Security Act, tentatively
reached agreement on a new
title to the bill setting
policies and programs for
developing biomass energy.
Implementation of the
biomass provisions of the
legislation would be shared
by the Departments of
Agriculture and Energy.
The title adopted last
Tuesday sets national goals
of biomass energy
production of the equivalent
of 60,000 barrels of oil per
day by the end of 1962 and 10
percent of estimated
gasoline consumption by
1990. USDA and DOE would
be required to work together
to achieve these goals.
A key provision of the new
title adopted in conference is
a program of direct and
guaranteed Federal loans
for construction of biomass
fuel production plants
including on-farm and small
scale commercial facilities
using agriculture and
forestry materials as
feedstocks.
Talma dge, chairman of
the Senate Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry, led the fight in the
Senate to win a major role
for farm and forestry
biomass as an integral part
of the Nation’s overall
energy program.
“I am delighted by the
action of the Conference
Committee in adopting the
major thrust of my
agriculture and forestry
energy bill, which the Senate
passed unanimously last
December,” Talmadge said
“i consider this a major
breakthrough m assuring
that the vast potential of
biomass energy will be
exploited to help meet the
country’s energy needs and
end our dependence on
imported oil.
“This action clears the
way to get the country
moving at last on an all-out
program to produce energy
from renewable farm and
forestry materials,”
Talmadge said. “This
program can be im
plemented quickly. The
technology to produce
biomass energy already
exists. A network of
production plants can be in
place in a relatively short
time.
“In my opinion, this
program will provide the
most economical and
practical means for
significantly increasing
domestic energy production
over the next few years
while a large-scale synthetic
fuel industry is being
developed,” Talmadge said.
• Under the Conference
Committee’s energy bill,
USDA would have exclusive
jurisdiction for all biomass
energy projects (except
those utilizing municipal
waste) producing annually
up to 15 million gallons of
alcohol, or the energy
equivalent. DOE would have
exclusive jurisdiction for
projects utilizing municipal
waste and those producing
more than 15 million gallons
of alcohol or the equivalent
annually, except projects
utilizing forestry feedstocks
and those owned and
operated by agricultural
cooperatives. USDA and
DOE would share
jurisdiction for projects
falling in the latter two
categories.
Financial assistance
under the program
primarily in the form of
loans and loan guarantees
would be provided through
the Energy Security
Reserve, a fund already
created by Congress to
finance alternative energy
projects
For the two-year period
beginning this October 1,
11,450,000,000 would be
authorized $5OO million
each for USDA and DOE
biomass energy projects and
|250 million for municipal
waste projects. Up to one
third of all assistance
provided under USDA
jurisdiction would be for
small-scale projects those
producing less than one
million gallons per year.
Under the legislation, the
President would have
authority to alter, subject to
Congressional veto, the
division of the ad
ministrative responsibilities
and funding as between
USDA and DOE.
The financial assistance
Solar water heater
workshop to be held
June 6,7
LANCASTER - Ap
nroximatelv 20 openings are
available for a passive solar
water heater workshop
being sponsored by the
Lancaster County Con
servation District on Friday
evening, June 6 and all day
Saturday, June 7.
The cost of the workshop is
$20.00 which includes
registration an'* a set of
Drainage Pays High Returns COM PA RE
Annual Return
Even with the conservative fig-
ures shown here, it’s obvious that
land drainage should top farmers’
61% ° lists of investment priorities.
Investment
Land Drainage.
Farm Buildings
Farm Land
Stocks
Bonds
V COCALICO EQUIPMENT CO.
DRAINAGE & EXCAVATING
RD #3, DENVER, PA 17517
billion for energy program
provided under the new
legislation would be in ad
dition to ongoing USDA and
DOE programs, including
biomass energy production
loans that Farmers Home
Administration currently is
authorized to make.
The Conference bill
provides funding authority
through FY 1384 of $l2
million annually to USDA for
biomass research and $lO
million for biomass in
formation 'education
programs under State
Cooperative Extension
Services.
An additional $5 million
would be authorized an
nually for 4 years for 10
plans and a
manual.
Five passive solar water
heaters will be constructed
at the hands-on workshop on
Saturday
Anyone interested in at
tending the workshop may
call the Lancaster County
Conservation District at 299-
5361 to make a reservation.
PDA THE BALANOB} 0«T
biomass energy production
models to demonstrate
available technology for
producing alcohol fuel and
other forms of biomass
energy.
The legislation would
The satisfaction that conies
from tilling a gootl job of farming
It’s a great feeling to know that you are the master of
your farmlands... that when you treat your sod right,
it will treat you right. Liming is one of the most im
portant factors in keeping your sod in the highest
productive range. A good pasture with a pH of 6.5 or
higher, for example, will make 300 to 400 lbs. of beef
per acre and produce up to $lOO gross income per acre.
This means with the help of lime, profits from pastures
can compare favorably with feed or gram crops.
construction
★ We Stock Heavy Grade Tubing which
Exceeds SCS Specifications. In sizes 4",
6". 8". 10" and 12".
★ Also Pipe And Fittings For Tile Outlet
Terraces.
prescribe timetables unde?
which both the Agriculture
and Energy Departments
would be required to act to
prevent delays in the im
plementation of the loan
program.
PH: 215-267-3808