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By Natalie Walston

Let's say you want to use wind turbines to create inexpensive energy on your farm. You will need an expert to design the system, come up with data analysis on placement of the turbines, install the needed software and interconnect with your local utility.

So far in Ohio there aren't many people who can do that. Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) Director of Energy Services Dale Arnold said as the state's method of distributing electricity changes from a centralized generation to individuals creating their own on-farm energy, workers need to be properly trained. The jobs will be out there for people to refit equipment, provide major upgrades and remodeling and install proper interconnection hardware and software for farmers.

"Workers can be trained in high schools, colleges, technical schools or universities," Arnold said.

OFBF is in support of a Rural Jobs Initiative, which is a plan to help Ohio become a world leader in renewable energy and bioproduct research, manufacturing, production and use. And Arnold said a way to do this to provide incentives to create the need for such jobs in Ohio.

"Ohio's legislative leaders need to look at a variety of financial incentives, initiate programs and come up with effective strategies that create policies and programs leading to production," he added.

OFBF Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs Rocky Black stressed that lawmakers need to look into this initiative now.

"Interest in biofuels, bioenergy and biomaterial production is white hot in Columbus and around the nation," he said. "This is one of those rare opportunities in the lifecycle of an industry which needs to be pursued. Five years from now, there may be very little citizen interest in public policies favorable to renewable products like corn and soybeans."

He went on to say this package "is a comprehensive step in the direction of opening up mass markets for renewable Ohio crops."

There are a number of opportunities that farmers and rural residents can pursue in manufacturing, raw material production, feed stock production and energy creation itself. The Rural Jobs Initiative would also help to create and expand incentives to further develop the infrastructure for manufacturing and selling ethanol and biofuels. The plan also encourages researchers to look at other hydrocarbon feed stocks--grasses, wood waste and manure--that can be used for fuel.

"We would also like to see Ohio policy encouraging research at the state level on the use of biofuels," said OFBF Executive Vice President Jack Fisher. "Ohio is well positioned to be a national leader in the next phase of renewable fuel production where the byproducts of processing add considerable value as a feedstock to replace petroleum-based ingredients."

The plan also calls for the creation of a renewable energy and bioproducts coordinator with the Ohio Department of Agriculture to encourage growth of such jobs in the Buckeye State.

"This goal is achievable," Arnold said.

Caption: It will be necessary in the near future to have jobs available for people to create, manufacture and install renewable energy equipment, from solar panels (shown here at Barry Adler's farm in Union County) to wind turbines.