Energy

Issue Overview

Tight oil and natural gas supplies, refinery constraints, public policy and geopolitical events are driving U.S. farm inputs and energy prices to all-time highs, substantially increasing farm production costs. In the near term, stopping exploration for and use of fossil fuels cannot be done without severely disrupting our economy and threatening Americans’ standard of living.

Farm Bureau advocates policies that will create a diverse, domestic energy supply to fuel America’s economic growth and prosperity while strengthening our energy security. Further development and use of renewable energy sources such as ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, biomass, solar and wind are critical to our nation’s energy future and will help further strengthen the overall national security of the United States. Farm Bureau supports a comprehensive approach to fulfilling our energy needs of today and into the future.

Conventional Energy

Farm Bureau strongly supports the development of a national energy policy that provides for increased exploration and use of domestic energy resources. Farm Bureau supports additional access for exploration and production of oil and natural gas, including the use of hydraulic fracturing.

RFS

Farm Bureau supports the production and use of agricultural-based fuel, including ethanol and biodiesel. Farm Bureau also supports the Renewable Fuel Standard 2 as adopted in 2007.

Our Position

Farm Bureau supports efforts to revitalize our national energy policy to take maximum advantage of all available domestic resources to achieve energy independence and a stable energy market. Farm Bureau supports a comprehensive energy policy to help alleviate the energy-related economic hardship being suffered by U.S. farmers and ranchers by creating a more diverse energy supply, including renewable energy sources.. Farm Bureau supports a comprehensive energy plan that also will increase the exploration and production of oil and gas here at home and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources. Farm Bureau supports the Renewable Fuels Standard 2 as passed in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

Farm Bureau supports tax provisions that incentivize the production of biofuels and renewable energy.