Agricultural Community Stakeholders
Roya Stanley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Agricultural lands in the United States are ripe for generating and utilizing renewable energy resources. With net farm and ranch income down and drought conditions throughout much of the United States, farmers and ranchers and others in the agricultural community are taking a serious look at how wind energy can become their new cash crop. The agricultural community includes not only farmers and ranchers, but also rural community leaders such as banks, rural economic development organizations, rural businesses, agriculture cooperatives, agricultural extension, Chambers of Commerce, schools, county government, and other groups that make up rural America. Farmers and ranchers are represented by hundreds of agriculture commodity and livestock groups. Some of the major groups include the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, and the American Dairy Association.
Many national groups have state and local chapters. Some of these groups have taken an interest in wind energy on the national level. For example, the American Corn Growers Foundation (ACGF) is a member of the American Wind Energy Association and sponsors major wind energy conferences. ACGF has developed the educational Wealth from the Wind program and formed an American Agricultural Wind Coalition. For additional information on ACGF’s efforts, access www.mindfully.org/Energy/2003/Wind-Energy-Renewable7mar03.htm.
Rural utilities and co-ops serve the agricultural community, and Wind Powering America has an initiative for these stakeholders. DOE/NREL’s Wind Power for America: Rural Electric Utilities Harvest New Crop brochure targets this audience: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy02osti/31584.pdf. For more information, see the Wind Power and Rural Electric Utilities section.
Identifying Agriculture Stakeholders
Agricultural leaders and groups are often active participants in their communities and play important roles in developing economic opportunities as well as local and state policies and laws. State Wind Working Groups may identify potential agricultural stakeholder partners in their area by contacting state and local agricultural agencies such as USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Services (CSREES), the Farm Bureau, and the Farmer’s Union (the latter two often have state branches and local offices). CSREES handles research, education, and extension grants. CSREES state partners may provide State Wind Working Groups with information on area agricultural-based groups and provide suggestions on media opportunities and how to best reach the agricultural groups. For information on state CSREES partners and contacts, access http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/statepartners/usa.htm. Other ways to identify potential agricultural stakeholder partners include conducting Internet research and observing agricultural-related news from television, radio, and newspaper. Visits to area rural community eateries or coffee shops may lead to conversations about local agricultural groups and leaders.
Once stakeholders are identified, Wind Working Groups may contact them and discuss opportunities for partnering. Wind Working Groups may invite the stakeholders to become members of their Working Groups as well as offer to become involved in the agricultural groups’ activities. Once the connection is made, Wind Working Groups have a variety of resources available for outreach.
Resources and Information Distribution
State Wind Working Groups may use a variety of wind energy information tools to provide outreach to the agricultural community. The Wind Powering America Team is developing materials designed for the agricultural community that include a brochure, table-top exhibit, and a sample PowerPoint presentation. Once completed, these products will be available through Wind Powering America. State Wind Working Groups may use these materials for outreach to the agricultural community through rural-based events and media. Wind Working Group members may offer to attend and ask to be added to agricultural group event agendas as speakers and panelists. Events may include annual meetings, workshops, conferences, and state and county fairs. The Wind Powering America Team can provide talking points and examples of presentations. The team can also provide a listing of major national agricultural group event schedules. Brochures and the table-top display may be used for event exhibits. Separately or in conjunction with events, State Wind Working Groups may use the rural media to spread the word about wind energy benefits. The agricultural community gets its information through television, radio, Web sites, e-mail, newsprint, and agricultural-related documents. Wind Working Groups may do TV or radio interviews and submit articles to newspapers, newsletters, or farm journals and magazines. Wind Powering America can provide talking points for interviews and share information on articles states have submitted to newspapers and farm trade publications. Wind Powering America can also provide information that is audience-specific. Most agricultural groups will want to know about wind energy costs, and there are many sources for economic benefits information. One source is a Union of Concerned Scientists economic model, which uses state specific information and numbers to determine financial benefits from utility-sized wind turbines. It is being developed to accommodate county-specific information. Wind Powering America can provide assistance on developing agricultural community stakeholder identification and strategic outreach plans. Wind Working Groups may contact their U.S. Department of Energy Regional Office representative to determine how Wind Powering America and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory can assist.
Key Messages for Agricultural Community Stakeholders
Resource materials and other outreach efforts may include messages that communicate the economic, energy, and environmental benefits of wind power. Those messages are:
• Wind energy provides an additional source of income for rural communities, benefiting county and local services including schools, health care facilities, and roads.
• Landowners with wind development on their property receive $2,000 - $5,000 per turbine.
• Wind energy uses less water than fossil fuel power plants.
• Turbines do not take up much land. Crops can be grown and livestock grazed right up to the base of the machine.
• In states where laws or rules require a utility to provide a certain amount of renewable energy, farmers and ranchers have seen an increase in interest from wind developers. In some instances, the requirement is in the form of a Renewable Portfolio Standard. For more information, see the State Policy Options for Utility- Scale Wind Plants section.
• Homegrown energy makes the homeland more secure.
Wind Energy Provisions in the 2002 Farm Bill
One new opportunity for funding wind energy in rural areas comes from the 2002 Farm Bill passed by Congress. This bill provides direct grants and loans for wind energy systems and allows wind energy to qualify for existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural development assistance programs.
Specifically, the bill:
• Establishes a grant, loan, and loan guarantee program to assist farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in purchasing renewable energy systems and making energy efficiency improvements. This program makes $23 million available each year for five years. On April
8, 2003, the USDA announced that the 2003 funds were available. The USDA will accept project applications through June 6, 2003, for this year’s funds.
The full solicitation can be accessed at
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/nofas/2003/rep040803.txt.
• Extends loans and loan guarantees under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to wind energy systems. For details on the existing program:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/sd/b&i_loan_guarantee_program.htm.
• Defines wind power located on ranches and farms as a “value-added agricultural product.” This designation allows for grants up to $500,000 per project for feasibility studies, business plans, marketing strategies, and seed capital. For more information, see
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm.
• Allows farmers to install wind turbines on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands (subject to the approval of the USDA). CRP payments are not reduced based on this activity. The USDA can specify the number and location of turbines and will only allow if consistent with CRP goals for the land.