December 12, 2019 – WASHINGTON – The Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and the Minority Staff of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee held a briefing for U.S. Senate staff addressing the climate benefits of farm-based renewable energy and advanced biofuels. The briefing speakers included Patrick Serfass, Executive Director of the American Biogas Council (ABC), Mike Bergey, President of Bergey Windpower, Patrick Gruber, Chief Executive Officer of Gevo, and Stephanie Batchelor, Vice President of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. Carol Werner, Director Emeritus & Senior Policy Fellow of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), moderated the briefing.
Industry leaders highlighted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) role in the deployment of renewable energy and expanded accessibility to advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and bio-based products. Biogas systems produce renewable energy or fuels and are especially important to deploy on farms because their benefits stretch beyond just low or negative carbon energy. Biogas systems diversify a farmer’s income by converting waste streams into revenue sources, manage odor, manure and nutrients, and build better communities because of the multifaceted way they interact with the neighboring area.
“If we act now, America can position rural communities as a central actor in our response to climate change. Using renewable energy and fuels from biogas will help us achieve significant climate benefits while also strengthening on-farm economies,” said the ABC’s Serfass during his remarks. “We are especially grateful to the leadership of Ranking Member Stabenow for reaching across the Senate to highlight the role farms currently play to protect our environment and how advanced technologies can do even more.” More >>