"Wind energy works for rural America! Whether the target is 25% of our nation's energy from wind and other renewable sources by 2025 or 20% by 2020 U. S. political, farm and rural leaders, together with advocates at all levels, must drive state and federal policies to meet the target. Pursuing this policy agenda has everything to do with America's national, economic and energy security. It is a top priority for the American Corn Growers Foundation. U. S. federal farm policy is evolving. Ten years ago (in 1996) various government and agribusiness leaders advocated current "exportoriented" farm policy by projecting that U. S. corn exports would be 2.8 billion bushels in 2005. That policy failed and U. S. corn exports were only 1.8 billion bushels in 2005. They missed the target by 1 billion bushels and corn prices have remained disastrously low at the farm gate. As a result farm program income transfer payments to farmers have been required to make up part of that loss. Future farm policy needs both renewable energy provisions and a marketing tool box that helps farmers push commodity prices higher. America can not afford to miss this target." Dan McGuire-CEO, American Corn Growers Foundation; Wind Energy Works! Steering Committee Member; DOE Wind Powering America National Renewable Energy Laboratory-NREL Agricultural Outreach Committee Member.
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