Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor submitted the following letter to the editor in response to an opinion piece in the Washington Times by Jerry Jung:
To the Editor:
In a guest column, Jerry Jung rehashed his favorite attacks on U.S. biofuels, asking that readers trust his opinion because he co-authored a 1976 paper on airline tickets. The problem is that his claims are completely divorced from reality and the scientific consensus. In truth, a wealth of data and decades of research illustrate that biofuels hold down prices at the pump, reduce emissions, and promote U.S. energy security.
For example, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) debunked, years ago, Jung’s unsupported claim that it “takes as much energy to produce ethanol as it yields.” Even the most brazen fossil fuel advocates don’t usually bother with that myth.
So it’s no surprise that Jung doesn’t understand the U.S. agricultural supply chain. Far from driving an increase in land use, steady demand for biofuels has enabled farmers to invest in making more efficient use of existing cropland, supplying consumer markets with more food and energy than ever before. USDA cropland data is clear on this point.
We saw during COVID what happens when ethanol plants are shut down – our nation’s livestock sector loses access to critical animal feed. That’s because bioethanol production draws on the starch in each kernel, while the rest becomes distillers grains, America’s second-largest source of animal feed.
Oil prices may be sky high, but biofuel blends like E15 are saving drivers as much as 50 to 60 cents per gallon – all while reducing emissions and supporting economic growth across rural America. Those aren’t benefits we should give up.
Emily Skor
CEO
Growth Energy
American Ethanol Supporters