The 25x'25 Renewable Energy Alliance (25x'25 Alliance) is a project of the Energy Future Coalition, based in Lutherville, Md., an initiative that works to bring about change in the U.S. energy policy by addressing challenges related to the production and use of energy.

The 25x'25 Alliance is comprised of agricultural, forestry, environmental, conservation and other organizations and businesses that want to advance the goal of securing 25 percent of the nation's energy needs from renewable sources by 2025.

Global Corporate Xpansion visits with Ernie Shea, the 25x'25 Alliance's project coordinator, about stakeholders, the formation of a new energy paradigm, and what the alliance's efforts mean to the renewable energy industry.

Global Corporate Xpansion: What was behind the formation of the alliance, and who are the stakeholders?

Ernie Shea: We started in 2004 as an outgrowth of work that Energy Future Coalition was conducting in regard to new opportunities for energy production. We were asked to take a look at where the agricultural and forestry sectors can engage and participate in producing secure and clean forms of energy.

Farms, ranches and forests can do more than produce food and fiber; they also produce energy, and out of that grew the 25x'25 vision. It became apparent that we have the capacity to produce as much as 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the country, so we translated that into a goal of 25x'25. We have grown to include more than 900 partners, organizations and other entities that have endorsed our goal. 25x'25 has been embraced as a policy goal by 34 governors, and 15 state legislatures have adopted this goal. And Congress has adopted 25x'25 as a national goal through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

There is growing recognition that energy solutions developed from agriculture and forestry are important to the nation's energy future. We have produced reports to clarify how we will get there. And we have an action plan. We have also conducted economic analyses of what the impact of the sectors would be if we move in that direction. We have produced sustainability guidelines. We are working extensively on climate change. When we produce these forms of renewable energy we are avoiding fossil fuel emissions, and at the same time we are sequestering greenhouse gasses.

In a blog post at www.25x25.org dated October 7, the organization called on the Senate to address an “entire set of biological sequestration offset issues,” which includes “fungible trading of offsets and allowances at 100 percent of face value, to insure a functional offset system within cap and trade.” The blog addresses the release of the Senate's climate change bill, which was introduced in October. The bill failed to establish enabling policies to “optimize the role of farms, ranches and forestlands in reducing the country's carbon footprint and combating global climate change.” Another shortcoming the 25x'25 Alliance found was the bill's failure to designate the USDA to run offset programming.

GCX: In regard to the 25x'25 Alliance's advocacy of renewable energy resources, is there a focus on a particular form of energy?

Shea: 25x'25 includes any renewable energy resource that can be processed off the land. I say it is anything that shines down on, blows across or grows up from the land — we are harnessing energy sources so it will take all forms or renewable energy to get to the 25 percent goal.

In terms of our biggest contributions it will likely come in the form of biomass that is being produced for biopower and biofuels. And wind energy that can be harnessed as it blows across farms and ranches across the country.

GCX: Highlight the solutions the 25x'25 Alliance brings to the debate surrounding fuel versus food.

Shea: There is a lot of misinformation in the system that we have been actively trying to clarify, to quantify, and to fact check. We are creating a new paradigm that displaces others and when you do that people push back and try to undermine your work.

The concerns about impacts to the food supply from biofuels, we think, have been greatly exaggerated and overblown. And the glide path we are on is one of increasing productivity of basic biofuels feedstocks in the current generation, things such as corn and beans. There is a lot of innovation and technology that will continue to point us toward increases in production that can accommodate both food and fuel needs.

But, more importantly, we are spending time talking about next generation feedstocks and conversion technologies, which are non-food feedstocks such as perennial grasses, short rotation woody biomass crops and the thinnings from private forests and wood lots. There are a number of renewable energy feedstocks other than corn and beans that are available, and that is where the future is heading.

GCX: Given the state of the economy, tell us about the developments and trends occurring in the renewable energy industry.

Shea: 25x'25 and our partners have advocated for government programs that accelerate the commercial deployment of these new technologies. There are loans and grants, and loan guarantees programs from the U.S. departments of Energy and Agriculture. There was a significant amount of funding made available in the economic stimulus bill that Congress adopted and passed, and which was signed by President Obama in January.

These are important steps to further support this evolving industry. And we think more work is needed in that area. And we are beginning to see additional recognition of the importance of these clean energy programs now that we are also talking about climate change.

GCX: What do growing renewable energy organizations need to understand about your efforts?

Shea: I think what differentiates us from other initiatives is that we are the big tent, if you will. We are a place where all renewables can come together and collaborate and problem solve.

When you think about the energy paradigm we have been operating under, we are talking about fundamental change. And solar energy, and wind energy and biomass and biofuels stakeholders are all working to bring this new future to life. There are many things they can do much better collectively than they can individually.

That is where we come in. We are a place to talk about the role of renewables, and position them as clean, as secure, and as developing economic returns for communities across the country. We can work on enabling policies whether it is further incentives or mandates.

GCX: What do the efforts of the 25x'25 Alliance mean to the country as we move to increase our use of renewable energy based resources?

Shea: It means increased energy security and national security. It means improvements to soil, air and water quality, as well as wildlife habitats.

And it means tremendous economic development in the form of jobs that are created as these technologies are deployed. It comes down to efficiently using our land and water resources so that we can not just produce food and fiber as we have in the past, but we can also meet other needs in the forms of these energy and climate services.

To learn the complete details of the 25x'25 Renewable Energy Alliance, visit www.25x25.org. To contact Shea, e-mail eshea@25x25.org.