Bioenergy

People sit at a table listening to speaker — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (from left) talks to UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, UNL Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett, and Mike Boehm, vice chancellor for UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, on March 28. (Photo by Ryan Soderlin, University of Nebraska Omaha)

Campus Leaders, Students Meet with U.S. Ag Secretary During Visit

April 11, 2024

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Nebraska in late March to discuss the future of agriculture with farmers, ag industry stakeholders, and University of Nebraska administrators and students.

Solar panels in front of corn field — Numerous Nebraska businesses have received assistance from USDA's Rural Energy for America Program so far this year to establish clean energy facilities and increase domestic fertilizer production. Learn more about these initiatives below.

USDA Invests $124 Million in Clean Energy and Fertilizer Projects

April 11, 2024

Three Nebraska businesses are among the award recipients of USDA's renewable energy program, which helps fund projects that will lower energy costs, generate new income and create jobs for the ag industry.

Wind turbine on farm — To learn more about USDA programs geared toward helping farmers add renewable energy to their operations, view this webinar series.

New Initiative to Help Farmers Reduce Costs with Underutilized Renewable Technologies

March 15, 2024

The new initiative will provide funds for hundreds of farmers to deploy smaller-scale wind projects, small-scale hydropower, geothermal, biomass-based and other clean energy.

Tractor spraying fertilizer — USDA’s REAP and FPEP programs were devised to help ag producers and rural small business owners expand their use of clean energy, modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more.

USDA Invests $207 Million in Clean Energy and Domestic Fertilizer Projects

February 15, 2024

One of the program fund recipients is a Nebraska-based business that plans to construct a fully automated fertilizer facility.

Solar panels on barns — Nebraska Extension Biological Systems Engineering Educator F. John Hay shares an in-depth analysis on the economics of on-farm solar following USDA's announcement that an additional $1 billion in grants are available to help ag producers and rural small businesses finance renewable energy systems or to make energy-efficiency improvements.

Economics of Behind-the-Meter On-Farm Solar Electric Systems

May 24, 2023

This webinar covers the general design elements of behind-the-meter on-farm solar and walks through production, value of electricity, interconnection policies and how these impact economic return.

Solar panel irrigation on farm — The $1 billion in REAP grant funds will be awarded to eligible applicants quarterly through the end of September 2024. To ensure small projects have a fair opportunity to receive grants, 20% of available funds are being set aside annually for requests of $20,000 or less.

USDA Announces $1 Billion in Grants Available to Farmers, Ranchers for Installing Renewable Energy Systems

April 28, 2023

The new funds have been designated for agricultural producers and rural small businesses, to assist with financing renewable energy systems or to make energy-efficiency improvements.

Solar panels — Erin Ehnle Brown/realagstock (Photo courtesy Center for Agricultural Profitability)

Farm Energy Management Webinar Series: Strategies to Save on Electric Bills

September 1, 2022

This three-part webinar series will cover electric bill components and how to interpret them, as well as strategies to save on energy charges, demand charges and power factor charges.

Daren Redfearn in field — A new study led by Daren Redfearn, professor of agronomy and horticulture and forage systems specialist, is exploring whether a targeted restoration of perennial grasses amid cropland could bring about a variety of benefits. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication)

Nebraska Research Studying Benefits of Grass Restoration Amid Cropland

February 9, 2022

The project will focus how a targeted restoration of perennial grasses amid cropland could bring about a variety of benefits, ranging from reduction in water and fertilizer use to expansion of wildlife habitat to encouragement of new bioenergy industry.

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