Obama Signs Omnibus Spending Plan, Impacts to Bioenergy

Published on January 24, 2014

Last week President Obama signed the omnibus spending bills (H.R. 3547) just days after the bill easily passed the Senate (72-26 vote) and House (359-67).
 
The bill provides some assistance to bioenergy and agriculture, including increased funding to the Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) and sustained funding for the Defense Production Act Title III which provides funding for the navy biofuels program. However, the bill is expected to restrict or reduce spending to the Biorefinery Assistance Program.
 
Additional provisions include $10 million to create incentives for the increased use of biomass from National Forest System lands and $123.5 million for sustainable landscape programs.