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U.S. Rep. Braley: Braley's 'New Era' Renewable Energy Workforce Education Program Passes House
7/27/2007

Contact: Jeff Giertz, Communications Director
jeff.giertz@mail.house.gov
(202) 226-4026 (office)
(202) 297-6745  (cell)

New Era Act Included in 2007 Farm Bill

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) applauded the House of Representatives for passing a 2007 Farm Bill (HR 2419) that included a renewable energy workforce education program first outlined in Rep. Braley’s New Era Act, introduced in February.

Braley voted for the Farm Bill, which passed the House 231-191.

The New Era provision in the Farm Bill creates a grant program for community colleges that will be used to establish renewable energy workforce education and training programs. 

“To make Iowa the renewable energy leader of the world, our state must train and educate a workforce with the skills needed to research and produce renewable fuels,” Braley said.  “The New Era program is designed to fill this demand by creating a workforce education program in renewable energy technology to be implemented by Iowa’s community colleges.

“Furthermore, I believe the House Farm Bill makes important progress in moving agriculture forward into the 21st Century.  I am pleased that the bill takes steps toward ensuring farm subsidies go to the family farmers that really need them—rather than big corporate farms—by eliminating subsidies to company farms making more than $1 million per year.”

Braley worked with Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kansas) and Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Alabama) to insert the New Era language into the Farm Bill. 

In June, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Eastern Iowa Community College Chancellor Dr. Patricia Kier, Ames-based Hawkeye Renewables CEO Bruce Rastetter, and others testified before Rep. Braley’s Small Business subcommittee about the growing need for renewable energy workforce education programs to train a new generation of Iowa bioenergy workers.  All three offered their strong endorsement of the New Era program.

Specifically, the New Era language in the Farm Bill would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to create the renewable energy workforce education program.  Community colleges across the country are eligible to receive grants under the program.


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