Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§17285 Sense of Congress relating to the use of renewable resources to generate energy

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 152— - ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VII— - IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF ENERGY POLICY › Part Part A— - Management Improvements › § 17285

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress sets a goal that by January 1, 2025, farms, forests, and other working lands should supply at least 25 percent of the total energy used in the United States and still produce safe, plentiful, and affordable food, feed, and fiber. Congress says the United States has enough renewable resources on those lands to meet much of the country’s energy needs. Using more renewable energy from agriculture, forestry, and working land can help national security, cut imports, strengthen rural economies, improve the environment, and provide reliable, affordable energy. Making transportation fuels from renewables can meet growing demand and protect the economy. More domestic renewable energy would bring investment, jobs, and higher farm and forestry incomes. With the right policies and incentives, renewables can be practical, cost effective, and become cheaper and more popular over time.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §17285

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Congress finds that—
(1)the United States has a quantity of renewable energy resources that is sufficient to supply a significant portion of the energy needs of the United States;
(2)the agricultural, forestry, and working land of the United States can help ensure a sustainable domestic energy system;
(3)accelerated development and use of renewable energy technologies provide numerous benefits to the United States, including improved national security, improved balance of payments, healthier rural economies, improved environmental quality, and abundant, reliable, and affordable energy for all citizens of the United States;
(4)the production of transportation fuels from renewable energy would help the United States meet rapidly growing domestic and global energy demands, reduce the dependence of the United States on energy imported from volatile regions of the world that are politically unstable, stabilize the cost and availability of energy, and safeguard the economy and security of the United States;
(5)increased energy production from domestic renewable resources would attract substantial new investments in energy infrastructure, create economic growth, develop new jobs for the citizens of the United States, and increase the income for farm, ranch, and forestry jobs in the rural regions of the United States;
(6)increased use of renewable energy is practical and can be cost effective with the implementation of supportive policies and proper incentives to stimulate markets and infrastructure; and
(7)public policies aimed at enhancing renewable energy production and accelerating technological improvements will further reduce energy costs over time and increase market demand.
(b)It is the sense of Congress that it is the goal of the United States that, not later than January 1, 2025, the agricultural, forestry, and working land of the United States should—
(1)provide from renewable resources not less than 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States; and
(2)continue to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed, and fiber.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 17285

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73