Farmers Can Supercharge America’s Energy Dominance

Originally published by RealClear Energy

America’s prolific exports of oil, gas, and coal both create jobs at home and expand our Nation’s global influence. With clear-eyed leadership in Washington, D.C., the Trump Administration is now also mobilizing America’s agricultural abundance in pursuit of American energy dominance.

The multi-generational boom in American agricultural production is an often-overlooked success story. In 1925, American farmers produced 27.4 bushels of corn per acre, totaling 2.3 billion bushels across the country. This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts that national production of corn will set two new records of 188.8 bushels per acre and 16.7 billion bushels in total. A new record will also be set for soybeans, for which USDA predicts an historic yield of 53.6 bushels per acre. The grit and innovation of American farmers have unlocked these historically unparalleled harvests.

The dramatic increase in crop yields has helped to fuel food security at home and the production of biofuels across the country. Ethanol is now produced in 21 states and the United States has been a net-exporter of the fuel since 2010. Other biofuels—such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel—are produced in 22 plants across 13 states.

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