NRCS Offers Headquarters Agricultural Energy Management Plan

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will offer the Headquarters Agricultural Energy Management Plan (Headquarters AgEMP) to Missouri farmers and ranchers to help them conduct energy audits and improve their overall energy efficiency. The initiative offers Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) participants a one-time payment to obtain an energy management plan for their headquarters operations.
"By offering this initiative, we are encouraging our producers to review how they use energy in their operations," NRCS State Conservationist J.R. Flores said. "We want to assist our farmers and ranchers in becoming more energy efficient, while also helping reduce their impact on the environment."
On-farm energy audits are tailored to each agricultural operation's primary energy uses. The audits help producers determine the amount of energy used by the entire operation and also identify short-and long-term measures producers can implement to conserve energy and achieve greater energy efficiencies. At a minimum, Headquarters AgEMP must identify baseline usage for non-residential structures and all stationary equipment used in farming operations. Vehicles and the farmstead are excluded.
The headquarters energy audit will cover the primary energy users such as irrigation pumping, heating and cooling of livestock production facilities, manure collection and transfer, grain drying and similar common on-farm activities. Missouri policy for the Headquarters AgEMP can be found online at http://www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/.
Payment for Headquarters AgEMP requires the use of a registered Technical Service Provider (TSP).
Missouri will distribute $50,000 through the Headquarters AgEMP. Applications will be accepted through Friday, Feb. 18. Interested producers should contact their local NRCS office to apply for the Energy Management Plan. To locate the NRCS office nearest you, look in the phone book under U.S. Government, Department of Agriculture, or visit the Missouri NRCS website at http://www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/.