New study compares growing corn for energy to solar production
Corn-based ethanol is widely criticized as an inefficient, politically driven way to produce energy, especially compared to solar power, which can deliver vastly more usable energy per acre of land. Commenters argue that U.S. policies such as farm subsidies and ethanol blending mandates persist because of entrenched interests and structural political imbalances, even though converting ethanol cropland to solar could theoretically cover most or all U.S. electricity needs. The conversation also touches on broader energy options (like geothermal and synthetic fuels), food security arguments for overproducing corn, and the environmental tradeoffs of large-scale agriculture versus solar deployment.
US Energy Policy, Politics, and Representation
- Many see US corn‑ethanol policy as a product of farm lobbying and structural politics (Senate overrepresentation for low‑population states, Iowa’s primary role).
- Some argue the Constitution’s design (Senate, small House) entrenches rural influence; proposals include massively expanding the House to dilute small‑state power.
- Others counter that the federal government is doing too much beyond its intended scope, so Senate imbalances matter more than they should.
Corn Ethanol: Subsidies, “Food Security,” and Inefficiency
- Corn ethanol is widely called a “scam” or handout: ~40% of US corn goes to ethanol despite poor energy return and a 31:1 land‑efficiency gap vs solar.
- Defenders frame it as food‑security policy: overbuilt corn capacity that could be redirected to food in crisis.
- Critics respond that the Renewable Fuel Standard mandates overproduction, harms global farmers by depressing prices, degrades soil, and is a bad way to preserve capacity.
Solar Land Use and Transmission
- Analysis in the thread: converting just ethanol corn land to solar could (on paper) meet or exceed US electricity needs, especially when accounting for higher efficiency of electrified end uses (EVs, heat pumps).
- Disagreement over how easily electricity can be moved long distances: some emphasize grid capacity constraints; others note existing interconnections and modest transmission losses.
- Several note that solar can coexist with vegetation and grazing, and may actually improve soil relative to industrial monoculture corn.
Alternatives: Geothermal, Synthetic Fuels, Engineered Plants
- Geothermal is praised as a high‑potential, low‑input, long‑lived resource; concerns center on long‑term reservoir heat depletion and turbine lifetimes.
- Discussion of solar‑driven synthetic fuels (e.g., Sabatier, direct air‑to‑fuel) and solar‑powered protein production via microbes; framed as longer‑term, higher‑complexity options compared to simply replacing ethanol with solar.
- Genetic engineering to improve photosynthetic efficiency is mentioned as promising but unproven at scale.
Food, Vertical Farming, and Ecology
- Ideas about using solar + LEDs to optimize plant spectra and 3D farming face skepticism; vertical farming is described as commercially failing and biomass‑limited.
- Several argue reducing cropland (especially corn for fuel) would allow rewilding and richer biodiversity; others warn large ground‑mounted solar arrays also disturb soils and habitats.