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Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Multi-County Switchgrass Project Awarded Grant
Agricultural Development Board Invests $200,000 in Renewable Energy Research
 FRANKFORT, Ky. - The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Gov. Steve Beshear, approved the Kentucky Forage & Grassland Council for $100,000 in Agricultural Development Funds and $100,000 in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds for the expansion of research related to switchgrass as a renewable energy source. This project is the first award through the Multi-County Energy Initiative Program.
“Farming and energy are two keystones of Kentucky industry and its future, which can have a mutually beneficial relationship,” said Gov. Beshear. “With the help of the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, we are positioning agriculture to be a leader in the development of alternative energy sources, such as switchgrass.”
This project will demonstrate that Kentucky farmers can produce biomass crops on a large scale that can provide an added income stream, as well as generate “green” energy for Kentucky consumers. The project will also show the value of using a public-private partnership to produce and utilize biomass crops and show the wide range of benefits sustainable energy production has across the local economy and environment.
“Gov. Beshear’s Intelligent Energy Choices for Kentucky’s Future: Kentucky’s 7-Point Energy Strategy emphasizes the importance of new strategies for producing and consuming energy,” said Roger Thomas, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy. “Through various programs, such as this one, Kentucky agriculture is positioned to be a leader in the development of alternative energy sources.”
The Multi-County Agricultural Energy Initiative is a program that encourages regional collaboration by providing a 1:1 match with ARRA funds and state Agricultural Development Funds for agriculturally related renewable energy projects. This program is the result of the partnership between GOAP and the Department for Energy Development & Independence.
This project was one of the four proposals approved at the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board’s March business meeting.
For more information about this project, contact Dr. Ray Smith with the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council at (859) 257-3358.
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