01/16/07 Promoting 25x25

Read Smith is a Palouse dryland farmer and co-chairman of the National Ag Energy Work Group. Smith has numerous Washington state and national awards for his land use practices. Now he's working to establish support for 25 by 25, the plan that would insure that 25 percent of America's energy comes from renewable resources by the year 2025. SMITH "We certainly will be lagging behind the Midwest in that we don't as a whole produce traditional energy crops, corn and soybeans. Smith says that Idaho and the Pacific Northwest don't lack for biomass, a key ingredient to renewable energy. SMITH "It's not only our existing crop residue but certainly the idea of dedicated energy crops, whatever grasses are appropriate for our climates. That's forest products, forest waste and even plantations that are produced just for their energy value are going to present tremendous opportunities." Read Smith will be the keynote speaker at the Harvesting Clean Energy Conference to be held January 28 through the 30th in Garden City. He says the technology for cellulose ethanol production and other forms of new energy are still a couple of years away but he believes that's the route we have to take. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott