USDA Conservation Innovation Grants and Energy

According to the website of the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Conservation Innovation Grants are given to groups in order to "stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies..." An article on the online version of Wallace's Farmers says that a total of $20 million was awarded to 36 states in order to fund 51 projects. Among those projects were several involving energy projects that may indicate the future direction of energy policy in the years ahead.

Here are the highlights of some of the projects according to the NRCS website:

A Multi-State Project to Accelerate the Use of Biofuels. The project, to be undertaken by 18 states, will encourage the voluntary use of what are known as "High-Benefit" Liquid Biofuels. These are fuels that combine high energy production with large reductions in carbon emissions.

A key to the program is the use of environmental credits on a voluntary basis. According to Wikipedia, environmental credits usually involve a governing body setting an upper limit on allowable pollution. Companies that exceed the limit can buy "credits" from companies whose pollution is lower than the limit. The principle is that constantly buying environmental credits will become so expensive that the offending companies will work to reduce their own emissions to a financially feasible level.

The project will use a form of environmental credits to encourage participating farmers to move from fossil fuels to environmentally friendly biofuels.

The Midwest Forestry and Biofuels Project. This project, to be undertaken by Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, will utilize maclura pomifera, commonly known as the Osage Orange tree (named for the Osage Indian tribe that had its homeland near the home range of the tree and for the aroma given off by the fruit of the tree).