Agriculture Is Fueling the Clean Energy Transformation: Takeaways from Justin Kirchhoff

Across the American Midwest and beyond, the energy and agriculture sectors are undergoing rapid transformation. Farmers and industry leaders are leveraging new technologies to increase efficiency, cut costs and reduce environmental impact. At the center of this shift, innovations like converting corn into sustainable fuels and capturing carbon emissions are redefining what’s possible for both communities and the broader energy landscape.

In a recent interview, Sydney Wyatt, chief commercial officer of Energy and Sustainability Solutions at Honeywell, recently sat down with Justin Kirchhoff, CEO of Summit Agriculture Group, to discuss how new advancements are shaping the future of energy and agriculture.

Here are a few highlights from their discussion:

Higher Corn Yields and Technology Make Sustainable Fuels Possible

Modern agriculture is achieving more with less. Today, in America alone, farmers are producing six to seven times more corn than a century ago—on less land—thanks to advances in technology and smarter farming practices. This abundance of affordable feedstock is enabling new pathways for clean energy.

Summit Agriculture Group is building a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant, utilizing Honeywell UOP’s proven process technology to convert ethanol into SAF at scale.

“That feedstock is now more affordable and useful for converting it into ethanol, sustainable aviation fuel, and other products we can use around the world,” Kirchhoff said.

Capturing Carbon Cuts Emissions and Powers Cleaner Fuels

Reducing the carbon footprint of energy production is becoming a central focus in the push for efficiency. One innovative approach is capturing carbon emissions from ethanol plants and repurposing them to support cleaner fuels and even additional oil production.

“We’ll capture around 18 to 20 million tons of carbon off of an ethanol plant,” he said. “We have 57 plants on our system. We will lower their carbon footprint by about half, making them more profitable and making their ethanol eligible for conversion into sustainable aviation fuel.”

This captured carbon isn’t just stored—it’s transported to places like North Dakota, where it can be used to enhance oil recovery, demonstrating how agriculture, energy and industry are increasingly interconnected in the drive toward a lower-carbon future.

Creating New Markets Secures the Future of American Agriculture

For Kirchhoff, the future of energy is deeply personal, rooted in his own experience growing up on a farm. He sees the long-term success of American agriculture as closely tied to creating new markets and opportunities for farmers.

“I grew up on a farm and so everything that I do kind of relates back to that and how the American farmer can be profitable long term is something I think a lot about,” he said. “It really revolves around how we can create markets for the American farmer to add value to the production that they have.”

By finding innovative ways to add value to crops, Kirchhoff believes agriculture can remain vital—not just for farmers, but for rural communities and the broader energy landscape.

See the full interview in the video above to understand how Honeywell is helping our customers solve their complex energy challenges and learn more about our renewable fuel technologies here.