The chaos now gripping the Middle East stems directly from the United States and Israel waging war on Iran. That conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to most oil shipments. The vital chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil trade now sits largely idle. Tanker traffic has plummeted more than 95 percent. Fuel prices are surging at home. Once again, Americans are reminded how fragile our energy security really is when it depends on distant seas and foreign governments.
This moment makes one truth crystal clear. The United States desperately needs genuine energy independence. Yet that independence will not arrive through inefficient wind turbines or solar panels manufactured in China. Those technologies may suit certain applications, but they cannot reliably power the heavy-duty machinery that keeps American agriculture running. Farmers need dense, portable liquid fuel that works in every season, every field, and every piece of equipment without interruption. Intermittent renewables, imported hardware, and batteries simply cannot deliver that.
The answer lies instead in homegrown fuel produced by American farmers on American land. Biofuels made from corn, soybeans, and other domestic crops already power millions of vehicles and can power far more. Strong, practical policies such as E15 higher ethanol blends and the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit are the tools that will expand this homegrown energy source. These measures reward production of low-carbon fuels right here at home. They create steady demand for the crops our growers already raise. They cut reliance on imported petroleum without forcing farmers to scrap their existing diesel and gasoline engines.
When the Strait of Hormuz shuts down, biofuel policies keep prices stable. They shield consumers and producers from the wild swings caused by overseas conflicts. They ensure that a war thousands of miles away does not translate into empty fuel tanks on the farm. At the same time, they deliver a direct economic boost to rural America. Every bushel turned into ethanol or renewable diesel means more income for farm families, more jobs at local elevators and biorefineries, and stronger communities across the Midwest and beyond.
John Deere’s recent ethanol-powered tractor prototype proves the point in the most practical way possible. The E98 8R model runs on 98 percent ethanol using a proven nine-liter engine platform. It delivers torque and performance comparable to its diesel counterpart yet eliminates the need for diesel exhaust fluid. This is not some distant laboratory dream, but real equipment shown to farmers at Commodity Classic and now heading into field tests. The prototype shows that the very engines that drive our combines, planters, and tractors can run on fuel grown in the fields they work.
Henry Ford understood this vision more than a century ago. He designed the original Model T to run on ethanol and saw American agriculture as the foundation of national energy strength. Modern engineers at John Deere are simply carrying that idea forward with today’s technology. The circle is closing. The same soil that feeds the nation can also fuel its machines.
The recent turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz is not a distant headline. It is a warning. America cannot afford to remain hooked on foreign oil. We cannot bet our energy future on imported panels or unreliable turbines that leave farmers stranded when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow. The solution sits in our fields, our biorefineries, and the policy choices we make right now.
Policymakers must move forward with real biofuels support: full E15 access year-round, strong 45Z implementation, and incentives that reward domestic production. When they do, fuel prices will stay lower, energy security will grow stronger, and American farmers will gain the markets they deserve. Homegrown fuel is not a slogan. It is the practical path to independence that protects our farms, our economy, and our future no matter what storms brew overseas.