Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

Congressman Cardoza announced several key legislative provisions today that will aid Valley agricultural interests. The provisions were included in the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which the House of Representatives passed today with Congressman Cardoza’s support.

The legislation establishes a national comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gasses by investing in clean energy technology, providing incentives for industry to reduce carbon emissions and establishing a pollution cap-and-offset system. It would be similar to the one currently in use by San Joaquin Valley air regulators. Agriculture operators would receive credits, which could be sold or traded, based on their ability to reduce air pollution.

There are no mandatory requirements for agriculture operators. However, the program provides financial incentives for them to take voluntary steps to reduce pollution.

After Cardoza raised concerns about the role of the Environmental Protection Agency in the program, House negotiators rewrote the bill to establish the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the sole agency in charge of implementing and operating the agriculture and forestry emissions offset program. USDA will be able to capitalize on its nationwide network of field offices, research capabilities, scientific experts and conservation partners to establish and operate the agriculture and forestry offset program.

“This is a significant win for the agriculture community,” said Congressman Cardoza. “In addressing climate change, the USDA has a staff with a long history of working with agriculture and understanding its unique needs.”

Congressman Cardoza also negotiated language directed toward farmers who grow crops with undetermined potential to capture and remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere, a process referred to as sequestration. The language would direct USDA to conduct research into new and innovative carbon sequestration techniques so that all farm operations can participate in the offset program.

“It’s important that our policy decisions in Washington translate into real benefits to our farmers and producers at home,” said Congressman Cardoza. “This bill only works because we took the extra time to develop a role for agriculture and the country will be better for it.”

Under the provisions:

• Participating producers who carry out practices that sequester or avoid greenhouse gas emissions through non-till farming and avoid deforestation will be available to earn offset credits. Producers who have previously participated in voluntary offset programs, such as the C-CAR program in California, will also be eligible to participate and earn offset credits for activities with continuing benefits. 

• Producers who have chosen to participate in USDA existing conservation programs, such as EQIP, will not be penalized or barred from the incentive program. 

• The agriculture and forestry sectors will be exempt from the bill’s greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements.