SD Corn

Quietly, South Dakota is among the leading states when it comes to producing homegrown, renewable energy.  The state has 15 ethanol plants that produce around one billion gallons of corn ethanol each year, which ranks sixth in the nation. South Dakota ranks number one in terms of the percentage of its power generated from wind. 22% of its electricity comes from the prairie breezes.

With those figures continuing to grow, could South Dakota one day become energy independent?

In terms of motor fuel the possibility is there, but the lack of blender pumps and flex fuel vehicles on the road stand in the way. The state of South Dakota consumed just less than 442 million gallons of fuel in 2012 including ethanol and gasoline, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation. That’s less than half of the amount of ethanol South Dakota produces each year. The state could easily be independent while still continuing to provide other parts of the country with hundreds of millions of gallons of clean-burning, money-saving fuel.

The wind industry has slowed as of late in South Dakota and other states due to uncertainty in Washington, DC, but the Wind Energy Tax Credit was renewed for another year after being included in the fiscal cliff negotiations. Other positive signs of wind expansion include the South Dakota Legislature’s passage of Senate Bills 195 and 235 giving tax rebates and refunds for wind farm projects. This national and local legislation along with additional infrastructure including transmission line projects is vital for growth in this exciting industry.

It is possible that South Dakota may never become 100% energy independent, but the opportunities to strengthen South Dakota and America’s energy security continue to grow.  Our rural landscape has a vast potential to continue creating good-paying jobs, affordable and secure energy options and a cleaner environment for current and future generations to enjoy.

Anybody else tired of volatile oil prices and the effect they have on prices at the gas pump, grocery store and other transported goods? The price of a barrel of crude oil was back over $100 this week which means the cost of gas, food and many other goods will continue to climb as we approach the holiday season.

But what if there was a way to fight back against oil prices? Well there is, by choosing ethanol and other renewable fuels, consumers can not only save money, but lessen our countries dangerous dependence on foreign oil from countries that literally hate American freedoms. Think about it, no wars have been fought over ethanol! By choosing domestic biofuels, more young men and women will have the opportunity to work in green energy and less will be put in harm’s way overseas.

After swiping your card at the gas station, have you ever wondered where that money goes? Well about 50% of it leaves the country as America imports around half of its oil consumption. By choosing ethanol, your dollars stay right here in the USA stimulating green job growth and agriculture. In just five short years, ethanol has already helped our country reduce its percentage of imported fuel by 10%. American ethanol reduced our dependence on foreign oil by 445 million barrels in 2010 alone.

So how can we use more ethanol? First off, E10 has been approved for all cars and trucks. Next, the new blend E15 has been approved by the EPA for cars and light trucks 2001 and newer. Another way we can increase ethanol usage is to make sure you know whether or not your vehicle is flex fuel. If so, you can use ethanol blends like E30, E40 and all the way up to E85.

(For the flex fuel owners, click here for a complete map of ethanol blender pump stations)

So when fueling your ride, be sure to consider where your money is going. Is your hard earned dollar going to foreign lands or staying in the rural U.S.? Buy American, choose ethanol.

How can America reduce its dependence on foreign oil, increase its energy security and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs? The answer is the Renewable Fuel Standard which has accomplished all of those feats in the matter of five short years.

A recent report from the EIA in May 2011 showed that the United States dependence on foreign oil fell from 60.3% in 2005 to 49.3% in 2010, 11% in just five years after implementing the RFS. In that same time, American ethanol production rose from 230,000 barrels per day to 779,000 barrels per day.

In 2010, using just 3% of the worlds grain, the United States  produced more than 13 billion gallons of ethanol which displaced the need for 445 million barrels of imported oil. More than the total imported amount from Saudi Arabia.

To produce that home grown energy, the industry needs skilled workers and lots of them. There is an estimated 400,000 direct and indirect employees in the ethanol business, good-paying jobs in rural America that will never be exported. Estimates from the Renewable Fuels Association show that 70,000 industry jobs were added in 2010.

The RFS is putting educated Americans to work, producing clean, domestic energy and weaning a country off of a dangerous addiction to dirty, foreign oil. The Renewable Fuel Standard is not just working in the United States, it’s thriving.

A new report from the United States Energy Information Agency shows that imported oil has been reduced from over 60% of the United States fuel supply in 2005 to less than 50% in 2010. Causes for the decrease can be attributed to the sluggish economy, higher efficiency vehicles and domestic biofuel production.

Manufacturing plants producing biofuels like ethanol have grown throughout the Midwest during the past decade and production has more than tripled in the last five years pumping 779,000 barrels of clean-burning ethanol into consumers’ gas tanks daily which is up from 230,000 barrels per day in 2005. This increased production and usage is due in part to our farmers increased corn yields, manufacturing efficiency improvements and an increase in blender pumps spurred by the ethanol industry.

“Reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil has always been a driver behind America’s ethanol production and it’s rewarding to see how far we have come in such a short amount of time,” said South Dakota Corn Utilization Council President, Chad Blindauer, a farmer and rancher from Mitchell, South Dakota. “Creating additional blender pump infrastructure, producing more flex-fuel vehicles and an Open Fuel Standard will be necessary in continuing our progress towards energy independence.”

Right now in America, fuel consumers are facing near $4/gallon gas prices and yet are still mandated to use 90% gasoline in their tanks. Americans are essentially being held hostage to OPEC’s rising oil prices. Sure those with flex-fuel vehicles can use up to an 85% ethanol blend but an overwhelming majority of the vehicles in the U.S. are not flex-fuel. The sad part is that own automakers are resisting to produce additional flex-fuel vehicles which in turn limit  the consumers choice of using higher blends of domestic, clean-burning, alternative fuels like ethanol.

More flex-fuel vehicles and ethanol blender pumps are vital to not only the future of biofuels, but our nation’s national security. As our countries leaders have been saying since President Nixon, America has an ugly dependence on foreign oil and it’s not getting any better. Today, America has 2% of the world’s oil and demands 25% of it. The U.S. paid 330 billion in 2010 for foreign oil. Just last week, President Obama called for a reduction of foreign oil imports by 1/3 by the year 2025. But in order to reach that goal, we will need more than words but a commitment in national policy.

Other ways of increasing consumer choice would be increasing the minimum blend for certain vehicles. This past fall, the EPA ultimately ruled that blend E15 (15% ethanol and 85% gasoline) is safe for use in all automobiles 2001 or newer. E15 would not be a mandate but a choice. The problem is that congress has blocked the funding for implementation of the new blend delaying its installation into the market.

For those that doubt ethanol, I recommend they look to Brazil who has been using 25% minimum ethanol blends without flex-fuel vehicles for the past 30 years. Brazil has 9 million more flex-fuel vehicles than the United States, yet we produce around 4 billion more gallons of ethanol.

In order to accomplish our future energy goals the gasoline mandate must be removed, ethanol infrastructure must be expanded and consumers must be given a choice.

During a press conference from Georgetown University on Wednesday morning, President Barack Obama laid out his administration’s “Energy Security” blueprint moving forward. The plan detailed having 80% of our energy be clean energy by the year 2035 which included biomass, wind, solar, natural gas, hydropower, hybrids and also biofuels.

“We will aim to cut our imported oil by 1/3 by the year 2025,” said Obama. “We will keep on being a victim to shifts in the oil market until we get serious about a long-term policy for secure, affordable energy.”

Some of the most effective opportunities to build our energy security can be found in our own backyard.

“Corn ethanol is already working to make a significant contribution to reducing our foreign-oil dependence,” a senior White House official said.

Senators from both sides of the aisle agree with the President’s view on the importance of domestic energy security.

“The strength of our nation is tied to the strength of our energy economy,” stated Senator Amy Klobuchar.

“I think our country is committed to a broad-based energy policy for national security and economic security and energy independence,” said Senator Chuck Grassley.

In order to expand our energy independence, additional blender pump infrastructure will be needed to make home-grown fuels like ethanol more accessible to the American consumer.

“One of the biggest problems we have with alternative energy is not just producing the energy, but also distributing it. We need to be investing in fueling stations…and consumers need to make sure that they are creating a demand by purchasing flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles,” said Obama.

The President also said that his administration will help break ground on four advanced biofuel refineries within the next two years with the capabilities of producing at least 20 million gallons per year.

 “We are encouraged by President Obama’s recognition of the important role domestic biofuels must play in America’s energy future. When it comes to replacing imported oil, no other energy technology can match ethanol today,” said Bob Dineen, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association.