GUEST COMMENTARY: Reducing imported petroleum, crude oil critical for Midwest | Columnists

While it is true the U.S. as a whole became a net exporter of petroleum in late 2019 and remains as such, most regions other than the Gulf Coast are still net importers.

The U.S. also remains a net importer of crude oil, with the Midwest being the largest crude oil importing region in the nation, the overwhelming majority of which comes from Canada.

Canada does not pose the same geopolitical threat to the U.S. and our energy security as other oil-producing nations we’ve relied on in the past. Still, few could argue that increased investment and support for clean, sustainable domestic fuels is better for the U.S. than imported fuels.

The issue is of particular interest in the Midwest, not only because of our reliance on imported crude from Canada, but also on the ability to reduce that dependence by supporting Midwestern farmers in the ethanol and biofuels industries. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2019, Wisconsin ranked eighth in the nation in fuel ethanol production capacity, with nine facilities able to produce almost 600 million gallons annually.