---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 17285"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "17285"
heading: "Sense of Congress relating to the use of renewable resources to generate energy"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/17285"
units:
  - "Chapter 152 — Energy Independence and Security"
  - "Subchapter VII — Improved Management of Energy Policy"
  - "Part A — Management Improvements"
---

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

- (a) **Findings—** Congress finds that—
  - (1) the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) has a quantity of [renewable energy](/usc/42/15852.md?p=b-2) resources that is sufficient to supply a significant portion of the [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) needs of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k);
  - (2) the agricultural, forestry, and working land of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) can help ensure a sustainable domestic [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) system;
  - (3) accelerated development and use of [renewable energy](/usc/42/15852.md?p=b-2) technologies provide numerous benefits to the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k), including improved national security, improved balance of payments, healthier rural economies, improved environmental quality, and abundant, reliable, and affordable [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) for all citizens of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k);
  - (4) the production of transportation fuels from [renewable energy](/usc/42/15852.md?p=b-2) would help the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) meet rapidly growing domestic and global [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) demands, reduce the dependence of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) on [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) imported from volatile regions of the world that are politically unstable, stabilize the cost and availability of [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7), and safeguard the economy and security of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k);
  - (5) increased [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) production from domestic renewable resources would attract substantial new investments in [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) infrastructure, create economic growth, develop new jobs for the citizens of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k), and increase the [income](/usc/42/292s.md?p=c-4) for farm, ranch, and forestry jobs in the rural regions of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k);
  - (6) increased use of [renewable energy](/usc/42/15852.md?p=b-2) 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](/usc/42/15852.md?p=b-2) production and accelerating technological improvements will further reduce [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) costs over time and increase market demand.
- (b) **Sense of Congress—** It is the sense of Congress that it is the goal of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) that, not later than January 1, 2025, the agricultural, forestry, and working land of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) should—
  - (1) provide from renewable resources not less than 25 percent of the total [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) consumed in the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k); and
  - (2) continue to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed, and fiber.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–140, title VIII, § 806, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1722.)

## Notes

### 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.