Posted: 04.16.2010

The Dairy Business Association of Wisconsin announced today its opposition to the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA). 
 
"It is extremely unfortunate that we are unable to support something as important as the proposed changes to Wisconsin's energy policy. Everyone knows that we all stand to benefit from changes in the way we produce and use energy," says Jerry Meissner, President of the Dairy Business Association (DBA).
 
According to Meissner, "We need new sources of renewable energy and our dairy industry is prepared to help in this effort. However, CEJA, as proposed by the Legislature, will have a devastating impact in terms of its potential costs and job losses on Wisconsin's dairy industry -- an industry already experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history."
 
Laurie Fischer, DBA's Executive Director, says, "The newest draft of CEJA being debated by the Legislature goes way beyond improving Wisconsin's renewable energy standards and imposes new requirements on agriculture without providing any direct cost controls or financial benefits to the dairy industry." 
 
Wisconsin's dairy farmers have invested millions of their own money to develop on-farm manure digesters capable of providing renewable energy for homeowners and other energy users. The newest draft of CEJA fails to provide any renewable energy rate differentials which would make this form of energy production economically viable. "We are very disappointed that the Legislature has failed to acknowledge the important role our dairy farmers can have in producing energy," says Meissner.
 
Fischer also points out that CEJA would create an entire new set of state mandates and new standards on farmers and Wisconsin's other rural citizens to include retrofitting barns and milking parlors, managing private woodlots, idling vehicles, constructing two-family residences, and controlling non-urban parking lots.
 
Fischer says, "All of these mandates may provide energy conservation benefits, but it is very risky to impose them on rural Wisconsin in today's economy without an understanding of the costs that will be incurred by complying with the benefits."
 
"The Dairy Business Association is ready to help Wisconsin develop a responsible renewable energy policy. We can do better than the proposal currently being considered, we urge our legislators to oppose CEJA," states Meissner.

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