Strike a Blow for Energy Independence this Fourth of July

By Anthony Bush

Two hundred and forty years ago, America declared her independence, and every Fourth of July we come together to celebrate the occasion with a well-earned celebration of national pride. Ironically, it’s a tradition that – as often as not – involves fireworks made in China, flags made in Mexico, and parade floats fueled by Middle Eastern oil. Flags and fireworks may not threaten our independence, but America’s reliance on foreign oil certainly does. Fortunately, there is a homegrown alternative, if we have the will to use it.

This country has a long and storied history with ethanol, a biofuel made from corn and other non-grain feedstocks. In fact, in 1908, Henry Ford designed his Model T to operate on ethanol. In the 1920s, Standard Oil began adding ethanol to gasoline to increase octane and reduce engine knocking. In the 1940s, the U.S. Army built and operated the first U.S. fuel ethanol plant in Omaha, Nebraska to produce fuel for American fighters in World War II.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, when states began banning MTBE, a groundwater-polluting gasoline additive, and replacing it with clean, renewable ethanol. Then in 2005, lawmakers concerned about our over-reliance on Middle Eastern oil enacted the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which requires oil companies to offer consumers increasing blends of homegrown biofuels.

Thanks to the RFS, domestic biofuels are now blended into more than 97 percent of America’s fuel mix, diversifying our pool of transportation fuel. And the policy has been an overwhelming success – we’ve cut our foreign oil imports in half since the policy took effect. Replacing gasoline with ethanol also slashes carbon emissions by 34 percent or more.

Last year alone, biofuels replaced the need for 527 million barrels of oil, which is more than the U.S. imported from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait combined. Indeed, every truckload of American-made ethanol displaces more than 60 barrels of imported oil. It burns cleaner and cooler than oil, increases octane, and improves our engine performance – a net win by any measure.

Best of all, producing our own energy means that American dollars stay right here at home, where they can be used to invest in the next generation of green energy jobs. Already, the RFS supports more than 852,000 American jobs across manufacturing, engineering, science, research and development. And with strong support, that number will continue to grow.

Regrettably, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is tasked with setting biofuel blending levels each year, proposed volumes for 2017 that fall below the targets set in law. It is a puzzling move considering how well biofuels are moving America forward and improving our energy security.

Fortunately, the EPA is holding an open comment period, and American consumers have until July 11 to submit comments to the EPA and to strike a blow for energy independence. So as we celebrate this July 4, let us remember that last year alone, the United States imported 9.4 million barrels of foreign oil each day – 16 percent of which comes from volatile countries in the Middle East. Wouldn’t it be great if America could honor the example of our founding fathers by declaring independence from foreign oil?

~ Mr. Bush is a corn, soybean, and wheat farmer in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. He serves on the National Corn Growers Association Board of Directors.