Q: How is Iowa leading the way in producing clean energy?

A: Iowa is the nation’s number one producer of biofuels, accounting for about one-fourth of the U.S. fuel ethanol production capacity and one-fifth of biodiesel manufacturing capacity. As harvest season gets underway, it’s fitting to recognize that Iowa crop farmers help anchor America’s agriculture and clean energy economy. Nearly 57 percent of corn grown in Iowa helps produce homegrown ethanol and more than 42 percent goes directly into livestock feed, reflecting how value-added agriculture boosts U.S. energy security and enriches the American diet with high-quality protein that comes from corn-fed animals, including meat, milk, eggs and poultry. Just one bushel of corn produces 17 pounds of dried distillers’ grain (used as high-protein livestock feed) and 2.8 gallons of ethanol. As a champion for renewable energy in the U.S. Senate, I work to ensure federal laws are implemented as Congress intended, such asspearheading a bipartisan coalition urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to maintain blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

The Biden administration needs a reality check on its partisan agenda that’s chock-full of inflationary spending and regulatory overreach, including proposals that overlook emission reducing biofuels and push consumers and truck drivers to buy all-electric vehicles. In a letter to the EPA Administrator, I drilled down on the Biden administration’s misguided and heavy-handed emissions proposals that would compel consumers to pay even higher utility bills. The U.S. economy is still reeling from supply chain disruptions post-pandemic and raw materials required for battery-operated cars are scarce and sourced from volatile regions of the world. I warned the president not to shovel an overpriced, liberal laundry list through Congress that would fuel the fires of inflation at the expense of ordinary Americans. He ignored my advice and three years later, Americans are struggling to pay for gas and groceries and make car, home and credit card payments thanks to rising interest rates needed to put the brakes on historic inflation.

Iowa also harnesses an abundant natural resource to produce clean, renewable wind energy. Wind turbines generate 62 percent of Iowa’s electricity, the highest wind power share for any state, and the second largest wind energy producer in the nation. Iowa’s wind energy grid requires on-site jobs for construction, installation and maintenance. The U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics recently reported that employment of wind turbine service technicians is expected to grow 44.9 percent from 2022 to 2032, the fastest growth of any occupation in the decade. As then-chairman of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, I built on my original work decades ago to foster investment in the industry with the first-ever federal wind energy production tax credit, and led efforts to expand federal tax incentives in a responsible energy package to enhance U.S. energy independence with homegrown, renewable energy, including wind, ethanol, biomass, biodiesel and animal waste. I also supported the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021 that beefs up the nation’s electricity grid to address America’s aging power infrastructure.

Q: How are you working to protect Iowa’s role as America’s food basket and leader in renewable energy?

A: Protecting Iowa’s vital farmland is essential to the nation’s food supply and rural economy. I often remind my colleagues in Congress that food security is national security. At the same time, Iowa’s natural resources can be harnessed to produce clean energy that helps fuel America’s energy independence and diversify revenue streams for landowners. As a federal policymaker, I take seriously my obligations to represent the interests of Iowans, including their livelihoods and way of life. I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation with Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin to make sure that federal investment in renewable energy infrastructure, particularly solar energy projects in rural areas, takes into account the impact on prime farmland. Farmers ought to have an objective risk-benefit analysis to make an informed decision about the long-term impact an installation of solar panels would have on the quality of their farmland once the solar lease ends. It’s also important to know how energy installations would impact soil and water quality for generations to come. Better oversight and data are needed to ensure farmland is preserved. Our bill would prioritize federal assistance to renewable energy projects that have in place soil, water, and vegetation management and conservation plans. It would collect data on the conversion of farmland to solar energy and authorize the National Resources Conservation Service to develop best practices for protecting soil health and productivity during the siting, construction and decommissioning of solar energy systems on farmable acres. Using federal dollars to expand the renewable energy footprint should use best practices and not come at the expense of farmers’ livelihoods and the U.S. food supply.

National Clean Energy Week is observed September 25-29, 2023. Senator Grassley is a member of the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus.