25x’25 Recommendations for a Clean and Secure U.S. Energy Future 

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The United States needs a comprehensive, long-term national energy plan that will guide the nation to a clean and secure energy future. Our dependence on foreign oil to heat and cool our homes, power our farms and factories, and fuel our cars and trucks is impairing national security and placing our economy at risk. A new U.S. renewable energy future based on a solid plan and supported by sound, enabling policies can create new jobs, strengthen the economy, improve national security and enhance our ability to address climate change challenges through reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Energy Independence and Security Act adopted by Congress in 2007 embraces 25x’25 as a national goal, calling on agricultural, forestry and other renewable resources to meet 25 percent of the nation's energy needs by 2025. The 25x’25 Alliance calls on the Congress and President Obama to take the steps necessary to achieve this bold goal and set the nation on the path to a clean, secure energy future. The time has come to construct and pass a comprehensive, long-term energy plan that will accelerate the production of all forms of renewable energy, create new renewable energy markets and deepen our commitment to conservation of natural resources, sustainability and protection of the environment.

25x’25’s Overarching National Energy Plan Recommendations:

1. Ensure that the enabling policies that are adopted will result in the successful achievement of the 25 percent renewable energy by 2025 national goal.
   
   
2. Create a market for carbon using a mechanism that values the role of agriculture and forestry in reducing and sequestering greenhouse gas emissions.
   
   
3. Expand and extend federal loans and loan guarantees for renewable energy production.
   
   
4. Pass long-term (6-8 years minimum) renewable energy and energy efficiency financial incentives including investment and production tax credits and Clean Renewable Energy Bonds. 
   
   
5. Provide incentives for utilities to aggressively pursue cost-effective energy efficiency. 
   
   
6. Expand and fund federal soil and water conservation programs to ensure the sustainable production of food, feed, fiber and fuel.
   
   
7. Create incentives to accelerate the production and deployment of flex fuel and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
   
   
8. Modernize and improve access to the grid, build new transmission lines and remove siting impediments to facilitate the delivery of renewable electricity to markets and to improve transmission efficiency and reliability.
   
   
9. Create and expand pipelines, rail lines, ports, pumps and other infrastructure needed to deliver renewable fuels and feedstocks to market.
   
   
10. Increase federal research, development and deployment funding to accelerate the commercial deployment of next-generation biofuels; solar power, wind energy, geothermal energy, and hydropower; energy efficiency tools; carbon capture and storage; and other renewable energy technologies.