25x'25: Securing America's Energy Future

America can stop depending on foreign oil. We can have cars and trucks that go further on a gallon of gas, and we can have new choices at the pump - renewable fuels produced right here at home. To get those fuels, we can make use of the same biotechnology breakthroughs that are creating new wonder drugs to turn all kinds of crops - even crop wastes and grasses - into ethanol and other biofuels. Biofuels can replace a quarter or more of our gasoline use, create a new domestic industry with thousands of jobs, and provide secure fuel supplies.

In the U.S. we depend on our transportation systems to move food, people, and virtually everything produced or sold within our borders. Over 97 percent of our transportation system relies on oil, consuming two-thirds of all the oil we use. This reliance on oil makes our economy vulnerable to market disruptions and price shocks and adds $200 billion a year to our trade deficit. It also poses a security threat because most of the world's oil is located in unfriendly and unstable parts of the world. Replacing oil with renewable fuels will reduce these risks and ensure long-term availability of fuels to meet U.S. energy needs.

• The U.S. imports nearly 57 percent of its oil, and imports could reach 70 percent by 2025, the Energy Information Administration predicts. Two-thirds of all the world's oil is located in the Middle East (vs. just 2% in the U.S.). This dependence puts us in a very vulnerable position with countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran. America's agriculture and forestry sectors can produce enough biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, to meet at least 25 percent of current U.S. gasoline consumption. Meeting more of our needs with renewable energy will help us break our addiction to imported oil.
• On the international level, the rapid growth of countries such as India and China are increasing demand and competition for oil. New resources are not being brought into the marketplace quickly enough to meet this growing demand. Geopolitical and macroeconomic stability are at stake as more countries become increasingly dependent on oil in a few regions. Local events, such as insurgencies in Nigeria, can pose threats to supplies, affect world oil prices, and act as flashpoints for larger conflicts over energy. As a result, the U.S. is vulnerable to price increases and supply disruptions that may result from political instability or terrorism.
• Domestic renewable energy sources are insulated from international market uncertainty and do not rely on lengthy supply chains or unstable producing nations. Relying more on renewable energy produced domestically is a win-win situation for the U.S. We would be much more energy independent, and American farmers would benefit from the increased demand for biofuels and other renewable resources.