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eligible producer under this section as the Secretary 
considers appropriate.’’; and 
(E) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(8) RENEWAL OF CONTRACTS.—When consid-
ering the renewal of a contract under this section, 
the Secretary shall review such contract to deter-
mine whether the production of bioenergy at the fa-
cility under contract is economically viable and re-
consider the need for the contract based on that de-
termination.’’; and 
(3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(c) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation, the Secretary of Agriculture shall use 
to carry out this section— 
‘‘(1) $225,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 
‘‘(2) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
‘‘(3) $275,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 
‘‘(4) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and 
‘‘(5) $350,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.’’.
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SEC. 9008. RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATIONAL 
PROGRAMS ON BIOBASED ENERGY TECH-
NOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS. 
(a) WESTERN INSULAR PACIFIC CENTER.—Section 
9011(d) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) WESTERN INSULAR PACIFIC CENTER.—A 
western insular pacific center at the University of 
Hawaii for the region of Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, 
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micro-
nesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the 
Republic of Palau.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
9011(j)(1)(C) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8109(j)(1)(C)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘2010’’ and inserting ‘‘2012’’. 
SEC. 9009. ENERGY COUNCIL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AG-
RICULTURE. 
Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.) is further amended 
by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 9012. ENERGY COUNCIL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AG-
RICULTURE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall establish an energy council in the Office of the Sec-
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retary (in this section referred to as the ‘Council’) to co-
ordinate the energy policy of the Department of Agri-
culture and consult with other departments and agencies 
of the Federal Government. 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall appoint 
the members of the Council from among the staff of 
the agencies and mission areas of the Department of 
Agriculture with responsibilities relating to energy 
programs or policies. 
‘‘(2) CHAIR.—The chief economist and the 
Under Secretary for Rural Development of the De-
partment of Agriculture shall serve as the Chairs of 
the Council. 
‘‘(c) DUTIES OF OFFICE OF ENERGY POLICY AND 
NEW USES.—The Office of Energy Policy and New Uses 
of the Department of Agriculture shall support the activi-
ties of the Council.’’. 
SEC. 9010. FARM ENERGY PRODUCTION PILOT PROGRAM. 
Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.) is further amended 
by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 9013. FARM ENERGY PRODUCTION PILOT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
establish a pilot program to provide grants to farmers for
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the purpose of demonstrating the feasibility of making a 
farm energy neutral using existing technologies. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$5,000,000 for fiscal years 2008 through 2012.’’. 
SEC. 9011. RURAL ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY INITIATIVE. 
Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.) is further amended 
by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 9014. RURAL ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY INITIATIVE. 
‘‘(a) GRANT AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture (in this section referred to as the ‘Secretary’) 
may make grants in accordance with this section to 
enable eligible rural communities to substantially in-
crease their energy self-sufficiency. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE RURAL COMMUNITY DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘eligible rural community’ 
means a community that has a population of fewer 
than 25,000 individuals, and is not located in a met-
ropolitan statistical area (as defined by the Bureau 
of the Census). 
‘‘(b) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A community desiring to 
receive a grant under this section shall submit to the
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Secretary an application for the grant, which con-
tains a description of how the community would use 
the grant to develop an integrated renewable energy 
system to substantially increase its energy self-suffi-
ciency. 
‘‘(2) INTEGRATED
RENEWABLE
ENERGY
SYS-
TEM.—In paragraph (1), the term ‘integrated renew-
able energy system’ includes— 
‘‘(A) the use of biofuels; 
‘‘(B) the use of biomass to produce elec-
tricity; 
‘‘(C) the use of animal manure to produce 
biogas as a substitute for natural gas; 
‘‘(D) the use of new technologies to pro-
vide highly energy efficient lighting, buildings, 
or vehicles; 
‘‘(E) the use of wind power to produce 
electricity and hydrogen; and 
‘‘(F) the use of solar energy. 
‘‘(c) CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) EVALUATION.—In making grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall evaluate applications 
based on their ability to demonstrate— 
‘‘(A) integration of different renewable en-
ergy sources at lowest total cost;
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
‘‘(B) integration of different renewable en-
ergy sources with greatest potential for com-
mercialization; and 
‘‘(C) development of best practices, and 
models for viable rural energy self-sufficiency. 
‘‘(2) PREFERENCE.—In making grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall give preference to 
those which propose a project developed or carried 
out in coordination with— 
‘‘(A) universities or their non-profit foun-
dations; 
‘‘(B) Federal, State, or local government 
agencies; 
‘‘(C) public or private power generation en-
tities; or 
‘‘(D) government entities with responsi-
bility for water or natural resources. 
‘‘(d) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) COST-SHARING.—The amount of a grant 
under this section with respect to an application 
shall not exceed 75 percent of the cost of the activi-
ties described in the application. 
‘‘(2) NUMBER
OF
GRANTS
PER
YEAR.—The 
Secretary may make not more than 5 grants under 
this section in each fiscal year.
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‘‘(e) USE OF GRANTS.—A community to which a 
grant is made under this section shall use the grant to 
develop an integrated renewable energy system to improve 
the energy efficiency of the community, and shall docu-
ment any energy savings resulting from the use of the 
grant. 
‘‘(f) REPORT TO THE CONGRESS.—The Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nu-
trition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that document 
the best practices and approaches used by grantees receiv-
ing funds under this section. 
‘‘(g) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPRO-
PRIATIONS.—For grants under this section, there are au-
thorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than 
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and such sums as may 
be necessary for fiscal years 2009 through 2012.’’. 
SEC. 9012. AGRICULTURAL BIOFUELS FROM BIOMASS IN-
TERNSHIP PILOT PROGRAM. 
Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.) is further amended 
by adding at the end the following new section:
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
‘‘SEC. 9015. AGRICULTURAL BIOFUELS FROM BIOMASS IN-
TERNSHIP PILOT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall establish a structured, academically-oriented 
internship pilot program (in this section referred to as the 
‘Program’) to provide students from universities in Cali-
fornia, Iowa, Missouri, Georgia, Minnesota, and other 
states with substantial farm-based economies or univer-
sities with fields of study capable of developing renewable 
energy technology or policy with the opportunity to work 
within the Department of Agriculture, Congress and legis-
lative branch agencies, other Federal departments and 
agencies, corporations, and nonprofit institutions on mat-
ters pertaining to policies regarding renewable energy, in-
cluding the conversion of biomass and other agricultural 
products to produce ethanol and other biofuels. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for an internship 
under subsection (a) a student shall— 
‘‘(1) be a third or fourth year undergraduate 
student or a graduate student at an accredited col-
lege or university in California, Iowa, Missouri, 
Georgia, Minnesota, or another State with a sub-
stantial farm-based economy, or at a university with 
fields of study capable of developing renewable en-
ergy technology or policy (including agriculture-re-
lated studies, chemistry, environmental sciences, bio-
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
engineering, biochemistry, natural resources, and 
public policy), that commits matching funds in ac-
cordance with subsection (g); 
‘‘(2) be a United States citizen; 
‘‘(3) be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate 
program in agriculture and related supporting sub-
jects with direct relevance to the subject of bio-
refinery, biofuels, and renewable energy; and 
‘‘(4) meet any other conditions or requirements 
that the Secretary considers necessary. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITIES OF INTERNSHIP PILOT PROGRAM.— 
In administering the Program (including in the selection 
of students to participate in the Program), the Secretary 
shall prioritize the following activities and placements: 
‘‘(1) Structured internship experiences that fea-
ture direct, hands-on assistance to policy makers en-
gaged in the development and implementation of ag-
riculture and related supporting policies and legisla-
tion, with direct relevance to the subject of bio-
refinery, biofuels, and renewable energy. 
‘‘(2) Internship and academic seminar pro-
grams that provide a combination of workforce 
training, experiential education, and leadership de-
velopment designed specifically for the Department 
of Agriculture and Congress, with regard to agri-
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
culture-based biorefinery, biofuels, and related re-
newable energy policies. 
‘‘(3) Establishment of regional and state net-
works that partner with the agricultural business, 
government and academic communities to enhance 
the prospects for providing financial assistance to 
students, particularly minority students, from col-
leges and universities in each participating State 
who are from economically disadvantaged back-
grounds. 
‘‘(4) Internship and academic seminar pro-
grams that focus on agriculture-based research, de-
velopment, and policies addressing new technologies 
to enhance agriculture production and enhanced eco-
nomic development in the agriculture sector of the 
United States. 
‘‘(d) ADMINISTRATION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM.— 
The Secretary, in consultation with other executive and 
legislative branch officials, shall administer the Program. 
The Secretary may engage the services of an experienced, 
nonprofit, nonpartisan professional internship and aca-
demic seminar organization with extensive experience in 
developing and carrying out Washington-based or other 
State-based internship programs and State-based financial
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
assistance initiatives for interns to assist in carrying out 
the Program. 
‘‘(e) SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER ASSISTANCE FOR 
INTERNSHIPS.—The Secretary may make available to un-
dergraduate and graduate students participating in the 
Program scholarships or other types of financial assist-
ance, including funds to cover the cost of housing, per 
diem living expenses, transportation, tuition and other 
educational expenses, and related costs, that would allow 
participation by eligible undergraduate and graduate stu-
dents from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds with-
in the Program States. 
‘‘(f) LONGITUDINAL STUDIES AND REPORTING RE-
QUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) LONGITUDINAL STUDIES AND EVALUATION 
OF INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.—In developing and im-
plementing the Program, the Secretary shall carry 
out such longitudinal studies and program evalua-
tions as he or she deems appropriate to ensure that 
the program is administered in a cost-effective man-
ner and has specific milestones, objectives, and re-
sults quantified with regard to such Program. 
‘‘(2) REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee