Bioenergy in Congress Updates

This briefing provides updates on the status of U.S. legislative and budgetary actions affecting bioenergy, including farm bill programs, EPA boiler regulations, and Department of Energy funding for 2012.

• The House and Senate Agriculture Committees proposed a $23 billion reduction in overall spending for agriculture and nutrition programs over ten years in October, leaving the future of energy programs like the Rural Energy for America Program, the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, Community Wood Energy, and the Biorefinery Assistance Program uncertain.
• The Senate voted on November 3 to end consideration of the Long-Term Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011 (S. 1786), which contained the Regulatory Relief Act (S. 1392). Because S. 1392 sought to delay EPA clean air rules for boilers fueled by biomass and other fuels, the EPA will now proceed with implementation under existing authorities.
• Proposed 2012 funding for Department of Energy (DOE) bioenergy programs shows a consensus to maintain $75 million for the Office of Science Bioenergy Research Centers, but both the House and Senate proposed cuts to the DOE Biomass Program, with the Senate proposing $180 million (a $30 million cut) and the House proposing $150 million.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2011). Bioenergy in Congress Updates. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/bioenergy-in-congress-updates

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Bioenergy in Congress Updates. 2011. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/bioenergy-in-congress-updates.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Bioenergy in Congress Updates |date=10 November 2011 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/bioenergy-in-congress-updates |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2011bioenergy, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Bioenergy in Congress Updates}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2011}, month = nov, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/bioenergy-in-congress-updates}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }