By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky residents are getting a chance to voice their opinions and gather information about renewable energy through a series of town hall meetings that started recently in Frankfort.

The meetings are sponsored by the Kentucky Rural Energy Consortium (KREC) and focus on the national 25x’25 initiative, a movement that would use U.S. farms, ranches and forests to provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in America by 2025, while still producing safe, abundant and affordable food, feed and fiber.

A team of state agencies are coming together to establish a 25x’25 Roadmap for Kentucky to meet the program’s goal. The roadmap team includes the Governor’s Offices of Energy Policy and Ag Policy, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture, the University of Louisville (UL) and other KREC partners. They expect to finish the roadmap report by December. KREC is administered by the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center at UL.

“These meetings are a great opportunity for people to obtain information and also have input into the process,” said Rich Gates, UK biosystems and agriculture engineer who conducts research on renewable energy sources. “The College of Agriculture is very interested in what our stakeholders have to say on this, and as core members of KREC we’re interested to hear their ideas and perspectives.”

Jimmy Henning, associate dean for Extension in the UK College of Agriculture, said the state is in a good position to become competitive in renewable energy development, particularly when talking about cellulosic biofuel production, which includes forage crops and forestry products.

“A lot of our land obviously is suitable for forages and wood products, but not for row crops. We won’t grow corn well in eastern Kentucky, so that’s not going to be our advantage,” he said. “But in terms of the renewable fuels effort relating to the cellulosic type, we’re very competitive.”

Henning also said besides making Kentucky more energy self-sufficient, there would be economic benefits to some areas of Kentucky that aren’t conducive to agriculture or have lost some of its agriculture economy.

“If you look at what’s happening to agriculture post tobacco buyout, you’re looking at intensive agriculture moving to the west. And then what are the economic opportunities for eastern Kentucky?” he said. “If this comes in, you’re talking about significant economic benefits to areas that have been really negatively affected by the loss of competitiveness in tobacco production.”

The economic impact could be substantial for the nation in general according to the 25x’25 Alliance which contends there could be as much as $700 billion in new economic activity annually along with an increase in farm income of $180 billion by achieving its goals.
“I support development of a prosperous renewable energy policy for Kentucky,” Agriculture Commis-sioner Richie Farmer said.

“Renewable energy sources like biofuels and biomass help farmers make a better living, help the environment, and help the country reduce its dependence on foreign sources of energy. At the same time, our energy needs have to be balanced with the needs of livestock farmers for a reliable and affordable source of feed. I think we can achieve this balance if all sides come to the table and develop an energy policy that’s good for everybody. I urge all Kentucky farmers to come to one of these town hall meetings.”

The next meetings will be Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 1-4 p.m. at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset and on Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 4:30-7 p.m. CDT at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton. There is no charge, but registration is recommended. To register, visit www.kppc.org or call 502-852-0965.

This farm news was published in the Aug. 29, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.