I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 41 
To provide for Federal research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application activities to enable the development of farms that are net 
producers of both food and energy, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2009 
Mr. BARTLETT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for Federal research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application activities to enable the devel-
opment of farms that are net producers of both food 
and energy, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
(1) the productivity of the ‘‘green revolution’’ 
has been fueled by abundant, low cost fossil fuels 
providing raw material and energy for fertilizer, her-
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bicides, and pesticides, and for powering mechaniza-
tion, thereby multiplying farm worker output; 
(2) farm worker productivity is based on the 
input of large quantities of fossil fuel based energy 
and chemicals, with typically an input of as much as 
10 fossil calories used to produce a calorie of food 
output; 
(3) food production in this manner cannot be 
sustained if fossil fuels are depleted and become in-
creasingly costly and scarce, and biofuels are not a 
viable alternative if their production consumes more 
energy than they contain; 
(4) reduction of energy consumption through 
maximum efficiency is a prerequisite to sustainable 
reliance on renewable resources at an affordable 
scale; and 
(5) for over a century, agriculture extension has 
shown that demonstration of viable techniques and 
technologies is a powerful force for their adoption 
and promotion. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
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(A) a regional, State, local, or tribal agen-
cy; 
(B) a nonprofit organization or institution 
that farms or provides farm or educational 
services to persons or organizations that own or 
operate farms; 
(C) a farm or farmer or for-profit corpora-
tion that farms, or group of such farms, farm-
ers, or corporations, at least 50 percent of the 
gross revenue of which is derived from the sale 
of food or fiber grown on the farm, if the acre-
age under their control, individually and collec-
tively, whether through ownership or leasehold 
interests, is less than 160 acres; and 
(D) institutions of higher education, as de-
fined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(2) RENEWABLE ENERGY.—The term ‘‘renew-
able energy’’ means energy obtained from a resource 
in a manner capable of being indefinitely sustained 
or replenished. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Energy. 
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(4) SELF-POWERED
FARM.—The term ‘‘self- 
powered farm’’ means a farm or collection of farms 
that— 
(A) is capable of independence from offsite 
sources of energy, fuel, and raw materials for 
fuel; 
(B) is a community resource for— 
(i) food; and 
(ii) energy, fuel, or raw materials for 
fuel; 
(C) minimizes or eliminates ongoing oper-
ating expenditures to offsite entities for fossil 
fuel-derived energy; 
(D) employs sustainable farming practices 
for long term soil fertility; and 
(E) produces at least 2 times as much en-
ergy, including fuel or raw materials for fuel, as 
it consumes both on site and in the transfer of 
farm products to market. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES RECOMMENDA-
TIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall enter into an 
arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for— 
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(1) the development of recommendations for ap-
propriate evaluation measures and criteria for the 
programs under this Act; and 
(2) an evaluation of the feasibility of prize and 
best practices award programs as tools to promote 
self-powered farms, and recommendations for how to 
carry out such programs, if feasible. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit 
to the Congress a report containing the recommendations 
and evaluation described in subsection (a). 
SEC. 4. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
The Secretary shall establish a program, taking into 
account the recommendations of the National Academy of 
Sciences under section 3, for the research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial application of energy tech-
nologies or other technologies that have the potential to 
increase energy efficiency or otherwise to enable self-pow-
ered farms. The Secretary shall award grants under this 
section to eligible entities, or consortia thereof, on a com-
petitive basis. The Secretary shall encourage participation 
in the program under this section through the Agricultural 
Cooperative Extension System. 
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SEC. 5. STATE AGRICULTURAL DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM 
AWARDS. 
The Secretary shall establish a program, taking into 
account the recommendations of the National Academy of 
Sciences under section 3, for making awards to not more 
than 30 State agricultural research programs for the dem-
onstration in a farm setting of the integration of tech-
nologies developed under section 4, or other technologies, 
in a manner that best achieves the goal of self-powered 
farms. 
SEC. 6. LOAN PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide, on 
a competitive basis, low-cost revolving loans and loan 
guarantees to eligible entities for the commercial applica-
tion of energy technologies or other technologies that will 
contribute to the goal of establishing self-powered farms. 
(b) PREFERENCES.—In providing loans or loan guar-
antees under this section, the Secretary shall give pref-
erence to applicants who propose to derive the highest pro-
portion of their energy needs from technologies that use 
biobased feedstocks or other renewable energy sources. 
The Secretary shall give highest preference to applicants 
who propose to meet their energy needs from biobased 
feedstocks or other renewable energy sources produced on 
that farm. 
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(c) OVERSIGHT.—The Secretary shall establish pro-
cedures to enable the Secretary to oversee the operation 
of projects supported by loans or loan guarantees under 
this section, to ensure that such projects are operated con-
sistent with the goals and requirements of this Act. 
(d) LOAN AMOUNT.—The amount of a loan under 
this section shall not exceed 80 percent of the cost of the 
project for which the loan is provided. 
(e) GUARANTEE AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall not 
guarantee under this section more than 80 percent of the 
principal of any loan. 
SEC. 7. CONSULTATION. 
In carrying out this Act, the Secretary shall consult 
with the Secretary of Agriculture. 
SEC. 8. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REVIEW. 
The Secretary shall enter into an arrangement with 
the National Academy of Sciences for a review of the pro-
grams under this Act and the development of rec-
ommendations for improvements to such programs. Not 
later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a report con-
taining such review and recommendations. 
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary— 
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(1) to carry out section 4, $25,000,000 for each 
of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014; 
(2) to carry out section 5, $25,000,000 for each 
of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014; and 
(3) to carry out section 6, $25,000,000 for each 
of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014. 
SEC. 10. COST SHARING. 
In carrying out a research, development, demonstra-
tion, or commercial application program or activity under 
this Act through an award of a grant, contract, coopera-
tive agreement, or other instrument other than a loan or 
loan guarantee, the Secretary shall require cost sharing 
in accordance with section 988 of the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352). 
Æ 
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