• Improve economic vitality of Washington farmers and rural communities through added income and reduced cost of production.
• Protect human health and the environment through reduced energy-related inputs and emissions.

Activities

• Participate in the Washington State Bioenergy Team, which is dedicated to successfully implementing the state's bioenergy initiatives. The interagency Bioenergy Team is led by the Department of Commerce.
• Administer Energy Freedom Program agreements, which provided $10 million in low-interest loans for four bioenergy projects in Washington State.
• Partner with other agencies through the Washington Farm Energy Program to identify tools and connect farms with sources of funding to increase energy efficiency in all aspects of their operations.
• Coordinate with WSU on state-funded, agricultural bioenergy research. Current projects include: agronomic research on oilseed crops, near-term anaerobic digester research, and co-product development.
• Partner with WSU and others on outreach/education programs to transfer research results and other bioenergy information to Washington farmers.

[Top of Page]