More Corn Ethanol Could Boost Cellulosic Ethanol
Wired News:
The ethanol industry is taking a beating from the bad economy, with big producers like VeraSun and Valero shuttering factories and filing for bankruptcy. Those left standing are pleading with the feds to increase the amount of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline, arguing it will boost demand, produce thousands of jobs and hasten the arrival of viable cellulosic ethanol.
Ethanol producers want the Environmental Protection Agency to raise from 10 percent to 15 percent the amount of ethanol blended with gasoline, saying it would increase demand for their fuel by 6 billion gallons annually. Automakers are leery of the idea, arguing it could damage some vehicles, and the EPA hasn’t said how it will respond.
We’ve all heard the arguments against ethanol derived from corn and other food crops, but ethanol producers claim boosting its viability will hasten the arrival of viable cellulosic ethanol produced from wood chips, switchgrass and other biomass.
“In order to have a second generation of ethanol fuel, you have to have a first generation,” Bob Dinneen, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, told Wired.com. “I assure you that corn-based ethanol will not serve as a barrier to the success of cellulosic ethanol. But it must also be understood that while the two fuels are dependent on one another, they are also on two different tracks to success.”
The U.S. Department of Energy says cellulosic ethanol provides 54 percent more energy than corn-based ethanol in comparison to the amount of energy required for production. And while conventional corn-based ethanol emits 10 to 20 percent less greenhouse gas than gasoline, the cellulosic stuff emits anywhere from 80 to 100 percent less – in other words, it’s carbon-neutral. It also eliminates the food-for-fuel debate that hobbles ethanol refined from food crops.
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