Calls on FCC to Support Rural Broadband

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement regarding the announcement that President Obama will make broadband construction along Federal roadways cheaper and more efficient.

"The future of rural development in Iowa and across the country depends, in large part, on the access to internet and specifically broadband.  I have met with many small businesses, farmers, and rural telecommunication companies who have told me the importance of expanding high speed internet access to rural areas.  This is critical to rural economic development, job growth, businesses, farmers, and families.

"While I applaud today's announcement, I also call on the Federal Communications Commission to commit to expanding broadband for all Iowans by supporting broadband growth in rural communities so that this critical economic development tool is available for all Iowans, regardless of where they live."

Specifically, the announcement will ensure that agencies charged with managing Federal properties and roads take specific steps to adopt a uniform approach for allowing broadband carriers to build networks on and through those assets and speed the delivery of connectivity to communities, businesses, and schools.

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - June 5, 2012 - Energy costs are on the minds of most Americans as they watch the pumps while filling their gas tanks this summer. But, farmers are also worried about how rising energy costs, from fuel to fertilizer, can impact their businesses. On Wednesday, June 20, at 1 p.m., the Iowa Farm Bureau's Margin Management Webinar Series will offer a session discussing the implications of energy prices and ethanol margins for Iowa farmers.

The webinar will feature Matt Erickson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation. Erickson specializes in the energy/fuel markets, as well as farm diesel and fertilizer price trends.

"The webinar will discuss a variety of energy-related issues, including the current crude oil and natural gas markets, price forecast, trends, inventories and energy consumption," said Ed Kordick, commodity services manager with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. "These factors definitely have an impact on a farm's profitability."

Participants can access the free webinar at www.iowafarmbureau.com and look for the link on the main rotating banner. Registration is encouraged. To register, please contact Kordick at ekordick@ifbf.org. While the webinar is open to the public, the program will be archived, with access limited to Farm Bureau members only.

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There's a lot of moaning and hand-wringing whenever gasoline prices approach $4 a gallon. But all it would take for them to hit $10 a gallon overnight would be hurricanes wiping out a couple of refineries or saboteurs disabling a couple of pipelines, says Dr. R. Paul Williamson, founder and CEO of the non-profit Sustainable Systems of Colorado.

"The United States is still almost completely reliant on finite fossil fuels, which are rapidly being depleted," says Williamson, author of Winning the Energy Wars: A Sustainable Energy Plan for America's Future (www.usa-sep.com). "We should be following a plan now that transitions us to sustainable energy sources but, believe or not, there is no plan."

The country faces oil shortages, international security turmoil and expanding environmental impacts, he says.

"Our entire future hinges on a sustainable energy plan," he says. "A crisis will impact our whole quality of life. It's not just gasoline; petroleum products are used in pharmaceuticals, plastics, things we rely on every day. The time to put together a plan is now - not when we're in crisis."

After studying the details of the nation's looming energy crisis, the former executive director of Hydrogen and Alternative Research and Development for the University of Montana says he's drafted a detailed plan that is systematic, non-threatening and sustainable. Three key features are:

• Abolish the U.S. Department of Energy. Though the 1973 oil crisis led to its creation, the Department of Energy has done nothing to create a sustainable energy plan in its 35 years of existence. Such a strategic plan isn't even a goal. Why? Politics. The big, all-powerful oil companies would not benefit. "To ensure America's security and prosperity'' is the department's stated mission.

• Create a Governors National Sustainable Energy Council. Direct the work of implementing the energy plan to leaders who are already doing that. Thirty of our 50 states have adopted goals for sustainable energy, and some have already achieved them. The council would have a rotating two-year board consisting of two governors from each of five regions, and three at-large governors. Funding from the decommissioned Department of Energy (currently, $25 to $35 billion a year) would be diverted to the council, which would be located in America's Heartland away from Washington, DC.

• Enact legislation to establish funding. Williamson proposes a National Alternative Energy Bond Fund to provide low-interest loans to new and redirected companies; entrepreneurs and other businesses focused on domestic energy development. This could be funded through sales of Alternative Energy Series "AE" bonds, trading stocks or bonds in the market as part of the Invest in America program, and establishing a surcharge of the use of products that use finite energy resources.

"We have enough domestic finite, transitional and sustainable resources to become energy independent and we can do so if we get focused, establish a new leadership paradigm and implement what I call the 'USA Sustainable Energy Plan,' " Williamson says.

What can Americans do - besides their individual efforts to reduce reliance on gas and oil? Williamson suggests taking these steps:

• Call or email our elected officials. Contact your governor, your U.S. representative, your U.S. senators and the president.

• Tell them you support adopting the USA Sustainable Energy Plan. Ask for their support on the three action steps: decommissioning the Department of Energy, creating the governors' council, and creating and funding the alternative energy fund.

• Follow up each week. Reiterate the action items and ask what progress is being made.

For more information on the energy plan, visit www.usa-sep.com.

About R. Paul Williamson

R. Paul Williamson is founder and CEO of the non-profit Sustainable Systems of Colorado. He holds bachelor's degrees in secondary education and communications; master's in curriculum and instruction and media technology, and a doctorate in technology education. He has served as a dean at four colleges including the University of Montana, where he created the Montana Hydrogen Futures Project, a plan incorporating the state's human, natural and renewable resources to create a statewide, hydrogen-based economy. Presently, he is working to create a sustainable future for the US; deployment of a self-sustaining, hydrogen-powered, magnetic levitation personal rapid transit monorail system; a sustainable smart home development; and an H2 Futures Business Park.

Great things continue to happen as America moves forward in developing an "all of the above" strategy to become more energy independent.  For example, an agreement was signed between aviation industry leaders and Midwest stakeholders to develop and commercialize sustainable biofuels.  USDA will act as an advisor to this effort.

The Midwest Aviation Sustainable Biofuels Initiative (MASBI)  supports President Obama's goal of achieving greater energy independence. Increasing our reliance on sustainable, home-grown sources of energy is good for the nation, good for business, good for rural economies and good for the environment. And agreements like this increase the effectiveness of those efforts, as will, as the President has called for: maintaining the favorable tax treatments such as section 48C of the Internal Revenue Code which provides an investment tax credit of up to 30 percent of qualified investment in a qualifying advanced energy project;  the Producer Tax Credit (PTC) and the Accelerated Depreciation Allowance for cellulosic biofuel producers; and the biodiesel tax credit, all of  which  reduce investment risk. We know these work because accelerated depreciation has been offered for decades to the oil and gas industry to encourage investment and innovation.

The agreement calls for the parties to hold workshops with stakeholders to identify appropriate feedstocks, supply chain logistics and a set of sustainability principles.  It was signed by United Air Lines Inc., the Boeing Co., Honeywell UOP, the City of Chicago's Department of Aviation and the Clean Energy Trust. MASBI's Advisory Council will be comprised of national leaders in advanced biofuels including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Navy, other Federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions.

One of the group's principal tasks is to identify the challenges of creating viable markets in the Midwest for aviation biofuels. Specifically, it will determine:

• The transportation and infrastructure needs to deliver biofuels
• The growth potential for commercial aviation biofuels
• The best fuel source(s)
• Policies that are needed to stimulate private-market development of biofuels

The agreement calls for the parties to hold 4-6 workshops by April 2013.  The workshops will include feedstock growers, processors, fuel users, financiers, policy makers and non-government organizations.  A report will be produced at the conclusion of the workshops.

USDA's support of the Midwest Aviation Sustainable Biofuels Initiative builds upon USDA's ongoing work to further the development of biofuels. USDA already has several memorandums of understanding (MOU) on the subject and several programs to fund biofuels research and development. In January 2010, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus signed an MOU to develop advanced biofuels and other renewable energy systems for commercial and military transportation needs. Also in 2010, Under Secretary Dallas  Tonsager signed an MOU with Airlines for America on the Farm to Fly project which has studied the feedstock and infrastructure needs for the development of aviation biofuels in the U.S.  In addition, Secretaries Vilsack, Mabus and Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu signed an agreement in January 2011 to work with private industry to develop drop-in biofuels for military and commercial uses.  Most recently, in January 2012, USDA, Boeing, and the Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (now Airlines for America), issued a report summarizing their agreement to work together to accelerate the availability of commercially viable and sustainable aviation biofuels.

For additional information on USDA's renewable energy programs and activities, check out the USDA Energy page or the Rural Development Energy Programs page on our website.

For more information about today's announcement click here.