Hold onto your pitchforks, folks!
President Joe Biden’s Biofuel Promises Face Challenges
President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign just hit a pothole the size of Texas. He promised American farmers a biofuel boom, but instead, it’s more like a bio-bust. Now, as he tries to win over those all-important swing states, he’s got a fresh thorn in his side. If it were a rose, it’d be all thorns and no petals.
What’s the Dirt?
Biofuels can be whipped up from crops like soybeans and corn or even from waste products like used cooking oil. Sounds like a win-win, right? Not quite. These fuels get a boost from government initiatives whether the ingredients are homegrown or shipped in from Timbuktu. This has led fuelmakers to chase profits by importing raw materials from overseas whenever it’s more lucrative. It’s like ordering takeout when you’ve got a fridge full of home-cooked meals.
Biden’s Climate Bill and State Programs
Biden’s big climate bill and a bunch of state programs are pushing demand for all sorts of fuel ingredients, especially those from waste fats and oils. Why? Because their carbon footprint is as tiny as a flea’s, making them gold under climate change policies. It’s like trying to lose weight by only eating the crust of a pizza—sounds good on paper, but…
The Kicker
U.S. biofuel producers are cranking out renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel using raw materials from Asia and South America. Imports of Chinese used cooking oil and Brazilian waste beef fat are skyrocketing, leaving American crops out in the cold. It’s like bringing a store-bought pie to a bake sale full of homemade goodies (Transport Topics) (BusinessMirror).
The Voices of the Industry
“The U.S. is writing the playbook for our competitors and their farmers,” grumbled Gordon Denny, an agricultural consultant and former procurement director at Bunge Global. Ouch. That’s like giving away the secret family recipe.
This mess isn’t making headlines like a Hollywood scandal, but the notion that American farmers are getting the short end of the stick has both Republican and Democratic senators knocking on Biden’s door. And it’s happening just as U.S. farm income is set for its biggest nosedive since 2006. Translation? Frustrated farmers might just flock to the polls in key battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, and they won’t be wearing Biden buttons. They might even trade in their “I Voted” stickers for “I’m Not Amused” buttons (Transport Topics) (BusinessMirror).
Bill Haugen, an agricultural land manager in South Dakota, put it bluntly: “This is one of the biggest flops of Biden’s policies. We’re growing all this crop here, but to use tax credits, we’re importing from overseas? Seriously?” That’s like growing apples in your backyard but insisting on making your pie with apples from the neighbor’s tree.
Case in Point
Take, for example, a new facility in rural Georgia for making sustainable aviation fuel. While it can churn out ethanol from American-grown corn, the company behind it plans to use Brazilian sugarcane ethanol, which has a lower carbon score. Talk about a head-scratcher. It’s like having a top chef in your kitchen but ordering takeout because it’s got fewer calories (Transport Topics) (Farm Policy News).
Senators Speak Out
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), also up for re-election, has teamed up with Republicans from other farm states to nudge the Biden administration about the surge in used cooking oil imports, calling some of the biofuel policies “punitive” for U.S. agriculture. It’s a bipartisan bonanza, folks, and they’re all singing the same tune: “We want fairness for our farmers!” (Transport Topics) (BusinessMirror).
Adding more fuel to the fire, reports indicate that the Biden administration is considering cuts to biofuel blending requirements, which could further frustrate farmers who rely on these mandates to maintain market demand for their crops (Farm Policy News) (World Resources Institute). The potential reduction in blending mandates comes amid pressure from oil refiners who find biofuel blending costly. This move could be seen as a win for the oil industry but a significant blow to the agricultural sector.
Meanwhile, the EPA and DOE have announced a $9.4 million investment in advanced biofuel technologies as part of Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda (US EPA). This funding aims to improve biofuel production technologies and scale up production systems, potentially offering some hope for future advancements in the biofuel sector.
The USDA is also chipping in with a $100 million grant program to boost biofuel infrastructure, aiming to increase the availability of clean fuels across the nation. This program seeks to market higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by sharing the costs to build and retrofit biofuel-related infrastructure (USDA).
Farmers’ Perspective
Iowa corn farmer Jolene Riessen is glad corn made the cut as a feedstock for aviation fuel, but the hoops farmers have to jump through make it feel like “farming with one hand tied behind your back.” It’s like asking someone to juggle while riding a unicycle—doable, but unnecessarily complicated.
So, there you have it, folks. Biden’s biofuel policy might need a tune-up before it wins over the hearts and votes of America’s farmers. Until then, it looks like the road to re-election is going to be a bit bumpy. Buckle up!
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