ENERGY
Over
25,000 Vermonters are employed in agriculture and forestry -- keeping energy
costs low protects jobs and moves
NEW! Renewable
Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements: The bill
provides $23,000,000 annually in each of fiscal years 2003-2007, to carry out a
loan, loan guarantee and grant program to assist individual farmers, ranchers
and rural small businesses in purchasing renewable energy systems and making
energy efficiency improvements.
NEW! Energy
Audit Assistance: The bill
authorizes the Secretary to operate a grant program to assist entities in
conducting energy audits that provide farmers and ranchers with recommendations
on how to improve energy efficiency.
NEW! Biorefinery
Development Grants: The bill
authorizes the Secretary to assist in the development of new and emerging
technologies for the use of biomass, including lignocellulosic biomass
(wood). The program will be a
cost-share with the amount of a grant for a project not to exceed 30 percent of
the cost of the project.
NEW!
Biomass
Research and Development Grants This provision of the bill reauthorizes the
Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 through fiscal year
2007 and provides $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $14,000,000 annually for
each of fiscal years 2003-2007.
NEW! Loans
and Loan Guarantees for Renewable Energy:
The bill
expands the Secretary=s existing
authority to make loans and loan guarantees for the purpose of reducing reliance
on nonrenewable energy resources by specifically encouraging the development and
construction of wind energy systems and anaerobic
digesters.