Home-grown fuel helps families, farmers and producers

OPINION:

Last year recorded the highest gas prices most Americans had seen in their lifetimes. We were shocked when the cost to fill up our cars and heat our homes doubled. This was caused by a myriad of problems the administration’s halt on domestic oil drilling and domestic energy infrastructure, supply chain issues and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. But most of this was self-inflicted by this administration’s energy policies. We’ve heard some cry that our current situation is illustrative of why we should abandon fossil fuels and switch entirely to renewables. I’m all for diversifying energy sources for energy security, lower prices, and a cleaner environment. But abandoning fossil fuels altogether is not a viable solution to today’s energy needs unless you want periods with no electricity and sky-high fuel prices.

Today, 97% of vehicles essentially all vehicles made after 2001 can switch to E15 fuel. E15 is made from field corn, much of which is grown in Nebraska, the number two state for ethanol production. Making E15, a domestically grown and more affordable fuel option, available to drivers year-round is a way to combat market volatility, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and it is cleaner for the environment.

Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. The designation of “1” as a bill number is reserved for the Speaker of the House as a way to highlight priorities and signature legislation. The goals of H.R. 1 are twofold to increase domestic energy production and permitting reform for domestic drilling. Energy is something we don’t often think about until something goes wrong.

With Americans being forced to choose between buying groceries and paying our energy bills, it’s safe to say energy has been on Americans’ minds a great deal in the past year. While H.R. 1 is a top priority for the House GOP, with a Democrat majority in the Senate and a Democrat in the White House, both sides of the aisle must strike a compromise to make America more energy independent, lowering everyday costs for our citizens.

Ethanol is a good stopgap in this scenario, yet the government still regulates when this homegrown fuel can be sold. Until recently, the sale of E-15 was banned in the summertime due to emissions concerns, but recent studies have shown that the difference between E-10 (legal to be sold year-round) and E-15 are negligible. Even more, in a study, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory confirmed that ethanol reduces carbon emissions by 4452% compared to regular gasoline.

The administration moved to make the sale of E-15 permanent, but due to bureaucratic delays, this will not go in effect until summer 2024. This ’will-they or won’t-they’ for lifting the ban on summertime sales of E-15 is volatile for farmers and producers and has created a hodgepodge of regulations that vary state by state. The time is now to end this indecision and vacillation and close the deal now for year around E-15.

There is plenty of room for innovation in the biofuel industry the distiller’s grain can be fed to cattle, and processes can be refined to reduce emissions. We have seen higher yields from corn as our agricultural technology improves but have spent so much time doubting E-15, while we purchase oil from our adversaries. However, since 2005 when the Renewable Fuel Standard was put in place, the United States’ crude oil imports dropped approximately 50%.

One of the best ways to help defeat Putin’s aggression is to stop buying Russian oil and switch to American grown ethanol.

Americans should have access to E-15 year-round, and as demand grows, so will the availability.

• U.S. Representative Don Bacon, Nebraska Republican, serves on the House Agriculture Committee and Armed Services Committee. He represents the state’s Second Congressional District and served in the Air Force until 2014. During that time, he served 16 assignments including four deployments across the globe. His military decorations include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, two Bronze Stars, two Legion of Merits, five Meritorious Service Medals, and the Aerial Achievement Medal.