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Rep. Sorensen touts on-farm energy production

A member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee says Congress needs to do more to support on-farm energy production.

Northern Illinois farmer Scott Brenner’s 1100 head dairy farm currently features the only methane digester in the state of Illinois.

“We’re breaking down the carbon that’s left in the manure.”  He says, “We’re producing methane gas, and we make hot water. We use that hot water to maintain the temperature in the digester, but also we’re producing hot water for the needs of the farm.”

However, he tells Brownfield the million-dollar investment in 2004 wouldn’t have happened without government assistance.

“It’s a huge cost investment, so it’s harder for a smaller farm to install a system like this.”  He says, “Certainly, grants are a way to help subsidize that cost.”

AUDIO: Scott Brenner – Hunter Haven Farms

The digester was originally designed to produce electricity, but Brenner says the economics didn’t work out.  Congressman Eric Sorensen, who toured the farm Thursday, tells Brownfield…

“The power companies, they don’t want to see farmers be able to produce power because they’re now in competition with them.”  He says, “If you are producing power in this way on your farm, you should be able to put it onto the grid and then sell it.”

Sorensen says energy demands and prices continue to increase, so all avenues of energy production need to be explored.

AUDIO: Rep. Eric Sorensen