Biofuels vs. Batteries - Farmers challenge truck rules

Jun 25, 2024

Farmers team up with oil industry against electric trucks

By Farms.com

The National Corn Growers Association and American Farm Bureau Federation joined the oil industry in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They argue the EPA's new emission standards for trucks will be too difficult to meet.

The EPA wants to cut greenhouse gases by encouraging electric trucks. The new rules, effective since last week, aim for over 40% of trucks to be electric by 2032. However, the lawsuit claims the technology isn't ready for large-scale use.

Farmers are also concerned about the impact on their business. They say electric trucks can't travel as far as traditional trucks and take longer to charge. This could slow down deliveries of livestock and perishable crops.

The lawsuit also highlights the EPA's focus on electric vehicles over biofuels like corn ethanol, which farmers say can also reduce emissions.

The fight comes as electric truck use is slowly growing in the US. Registrations rose from 200 in 2021 to 1,600 in 2023. However, concerns remain about the practicality of electric trucks for long-distance hauling.

The outcome of the lawsuit could impact both the environment and the agricultural industry.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.