The folks in Vermont are showing their dedication to agriculture again with the country’s only renewable energy program called Cow Power. Offered by the state’s Public Service Corporation, residents and businesses can choose to switch a percentage of their energy costs to Cow Power, paying a premium of 4 cents per kilowatt hour, which goes to participating farm-producers, to purchase renewable energy credits when enough farm energy isn’t available, or to the CVPS Renewable Development Fund. The fund makes grants to farmers to develop on-farm generation. Farm-producers receive 95 percent of the market price for the energy sold.

The state’s largest electric utility created the program to help improve manure management while providing financial opportunities for the state’s dairy farmers.