On October 10-12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy will co-host a national renewable energy conference to help create partnerships and strategies necessary to accelerate commercialization of renewable energy industries and distribution systems

The “Advancing Renewable Energy: An American Rural Renaissance,” will be held in St. Louis, Missouri.

From Wall Street to Main Street, investors are seeking to understand potential markets. This conference will focus on elements of President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative, specifically biomass, wind and solar research and commercialization.

USDA and DOE expect the conference to identify major impediments, review challenges and make recommendations to help accelerate renewable energy technology development; examine key incentives that would help promote certainty and reduce risk for investors and developers in the marketplace; review challenges of developing new distribution systems; and raise public awareness.

USDA and DOE expect conference attendees to cover a broad spectrum of interests, including: agriculture, energy, transportation, financial and investment, federal and state government, and elected officials.

For the past several years, USDA Rural Development has provided renewable energy grants. During FY 2005, 154 grants totaling over $22 million were awarded. Since the start of the Bush Administration, Rural Development has funded more than $356 million in renewable energy and energy efficiency ventures through various programs.

For more information, visit the Advancing Renewable Energy: An American Rural Renaissance Conference webpage.

7/28/2006