I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4897 

To reauthorize the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal 

year 2011 and to increase the annual level of Commodity Credit Corporation funding for the program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 7, 2006 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself and Mr. LATHAM) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To reauthorize the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy 

Efficiency Improvements Program of the Department of 

Agriculture through fiscal year 2011 and to increase 

the annual level of Commodity Credit Corporation funding for the program. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Renewable Energy 

5 Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program 

6 Act of 2006’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) Having an affordable, reliable, and plentiful 

4 energy supply is critical to the United States econ5 omy. 

6 (2) Current and future risks to United States 

7 energy security are increasing at the same time that 

8 domestic and global energy demands are growing ex9 ponentially. 

10 (3) The greatest strength of United States agri11 culture has always been the entrepreneurial strength 

12 of its farmers and ranchers, and this entrepreneurial 

13 strength can be harnessed to increase United States 

14 energy security. 

15 (4) The development of a broad range of renew16 able energy sources, including wind power, biomass, 

17 ethanol, biodiesel, and solar, offers the potential for 

18 farmers and ranchers to develop additional sources 

19 of income, for rural businesses and communities to 

20 prosper, and for the United States to lessen its de21 pendence on imported oil. 

22 (5) Support is growing for the ‘‘25 by 25 objec23 tive’’, which envisions that by 2025, farm and ranch 

24 lands in the United States will provide at least 25 

25 percent of the energy consumed in the United 

26 States. 


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1 (6) Section 9006 of the Farm Security and 

2 Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8106) es3 tablished the Renewable Energy Systems and En4 ergy Efficiency Improvements Program, which is the 

5 keystone of the Act’s energy title and the first agri6 cultural program to promote broad renewable energy 

7 and energy efficiency measures for the farm and 

8 rural business sectors. 

9 (7) The Renewable Energy Systems and Energy 

10 Efficiency Improvements Program has already been 

11 a success, providing grants and loans to farmers, 

12 ranchers, and rural businesses to help them install 

13 renewable energy systems and make energy effi14 ciency improvements. 

15 (8) During its first two years in operation, the 

16 Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency 

17 Improvements Program leveraged approximately $44 

18 million in grants into more than $300 million in 

19 clean energy projects, including 250 megawatts of 

20 wind power, 67 anaerobic digesters, 8 biofuels proc21 essing facilities, 85 energy efficiency projects, and a 

22 range of other proven energy efficiency technologies. 

23 (9) The Renewable Energy Systems and Energy 

24 Efficiency Improvements Program enjoys strong bi25 partisan support in Congress and among a broad 


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1 range of farm, environmental, and sustainable en2 ergy organizations. 

3 (10) Growing interest in the Renewable Energy 

4 Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Pro5 gram is evidenced by the 63 percent increase in the 

6 number of applications from 2004 to 2005 for as7 sistance under the program, but the shortfall in 

8 funding allowed only 40 percent of applications to be 

9 funded in 2005 (versus 70 percent in 2004). 

10 (11) Section 1301 of the Deficit Reduction Act 

11 of 2005 (Public Law 109–171; 120 Stat. 4) reduces 

12 fiscal year 2007 funding for the Renewable Energy 

13 Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Pro14 gram from $23 million to $3 million. 

15 SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SYS16 TEMS AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVE17 MENTS PROGRAM. 

18 Section 9006(f) of the Farm Security and Rural In19 vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8106(f)), as amended by 

20 section 1301 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Public 

21 Law 109–171; 120 Stat. 4), is further amended by strik22 ing ‘‘$3,000,000 for fiscal year 2007’’ and inserting 

23 ‘‘$46,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 

24 2011’’. 

Æ 


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