Methods of increasing renewable oil production are provided and include transforming a plant cell with an isolated nucleic acid encoding a Vernonia galamensis diacylglycerol acyltransferase (V gDGAT) polypeptide, where the expression of the V gDGAT polypeptide increases an amount of renewable oil in the plant. Transgenic plant cells comprising an isolated nucleic acid encoding a Vernonia galamensis diacylglycerol acyl transferase 1 (V gDGATl) polypeptide are further provided
