| WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Agriculture Energy Alliance (AEA) applauds Congressmen John Peterson (R-PA) and Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) for their leadership in sponsoring an amendment to secure increased supplies of critically needed natural gas.
The AEA is encouraged by yesterday’s (May 18) strong vote of support in the House to lift the 24-year old moratorium on natural gas exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The House Interior and Environmental Appropria-tions bill floor vote sends a signal that many members understand the need for increased supply of natural gas for critical use, such as agriculture.
The AEA will continue to work with leaders in the House and the Senate to open up areas in the Outer Continental Shelf for natural gas production.
The AEA represents a broad-based coalition of farm organizations and agribusinesses that face a crisis because of public policies that have created demand for natural gas while at the same time have restricted access to supply sources.
The farm sector depends on significant amounts of natural gas for food processing, irrigation, crop drying, heating farm buildings and homes and production of crop protection chemicals and nitrogen fertilizers. Today, natural gas accounts for 90 percent of the cost of producing the most widely used nitrogen fertilizer, anhydrous ammonia.
For a list of Agriculture Energy Alliance members, visit the AEA’s website at www.agenergyalliance.com
This farm news was published in the May 24, 2006 issue of Farm World. |
