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Goal: 25% renewable energy by 2025 Not just corn: study finds up to 100 million acres needed for renewable energy crops; new commercial technologies also needed Duncan Mansfield Associated Press Environmental Writer
As many as 100 million acres of cropland and pastures would have to be dedicated to cultivating biomass fuels such as switchgrass to support a national goal of 25 percent renewable energy use by 2025, a University of Tennessee study says.
Moreover, new commercial technologies will be needed to turn switchgrass, wheat, rice and forest products into ethanol fuel, now principally made from corn, and their byproducts into feedstock for power generation.
But the rewards could be great. The study projects $700 billion in new economic activity including: a $180 billion growth in net farm income over the next 20 years; creation of 5.1 million jobs to support renewable energy enterprises; and government savings of more than $15 billion in crop subsidies.
“I think what is important is the change in the mentality of the citizens of the United States to develop the attitude that, ‘We can do it’,” lead researcher Burton English told The Associated Press. “If we develop that attitude, the goal may exceed 25 percent.”
The report, released in mid-November, concludes that not only could U.S. farmers, ranchers and foresters produce 25 percent of the nation’s energy needs, but they could do it while still meeting the nation’s demand for food, feed and fiber.
The report suggests that about 105 million acres of the nation’s more than 800 million acres of agricultural land would need to be dedicated to switchgrass or other energy crops, with most of that coming from pastures. Hay acreage would need to nearly triple to 168 million acres.
Commercial technology to convert switchgrass to ethanol isn’t available yet, but should be by 2012, the study said.
Output by 2025 could support 60 million households The potential annual agricultural yield by 2025 could be 86 billion gallons of ethanol, 1.1 billion gallons of biodiesel, 925 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Enough energy to support 60 million households and their cars for a year, the study said.
“This cutting-edge research provides the first comprehensive look at how both crop and livestock production might respond to increased demands for renewable energy,” said J. Read Smith, co-chair of the Kansas City-based “25 x ‘25 Project” steering committee, which is promoting the agenda for 25 percent renewable energy by 2025.
“Not only would reaching the goal drastically reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, it would also have an extremely favorable impact on rural America and the nation as a whole,” Smith said in a statement.
Smiths’ panel, which includes agriculture and forestry interests, conservation groups and religious organizations, financed the UT study with its funding partner, the nonpartisan Energy Future Coalition, and the Energy Foundation.
UT’s report on the agricultural impact of renewable fuel sources is a companion to a Rand Corp. study on energy demand and supply. The Rand report said that increasing the use of renewable energy could lower future energy costs, assuming continuing gains in technology.
“The impact is on the total economy. We are really building a new industry,” English said. “There really aren’t any losers.”
Agriculture and forestry resources now supply about 2 percent of this country’s heat and energy needs. That would have to grow eight-fold over the next two decades to achieve a little more than half of the 25 percent renewable energy target. The rest would come from wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric sources, the study said.
For more information: 25 X 25 project on the Web at www.25x25.org/; University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture at www.agriculture.utk.edu/.
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