Article on the viability of Cellulosic Ethanol. It's not the most exciting read but has some very relevant information.
http://www.trade.gov/press/press_rel...ort_011708.asp
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Unlike corn-based ethanol, cellulosic ethanol is manufactured from materials in biomass, such as crop and forestry residues, energy crops, and wood waste. Consequently, it has negligible impacts on the price of food, and does not emit as much greenhouse gas.
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Some of the key findings indicate that crop producing industries and their suppliers would benefit; annual benefits for U.S. consumers would total $12.6 billion if cellulosic ethanol production increased; U.S. crude oil imports would be 4.1 percent lower if 20 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol were produced in 2020, which is about 460,000 barrels per day or approximately 40 percent of current crude oil imports from Venezuela; the worldwide price of oil and the domestic U.S. fuel price would be 1.2 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively, lower than projected.
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And another.
This article speaks to both sides of the corn based ethanol debate but shows universal support for cellulosic ethanol.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354350,00.html
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At the same time, however, lawmakers reiterated their support for making ethanol production from cellulosic feedstocks -- wood chips, switchgrass and even garbage -- commercially viable. The same farm bill provides $400 million for cellulosic ethanol research and development.
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Shimkus, whose state has one of the biggest ethanol producers in Archer Daniels Midland Co., supports the mandate and sees heavy reliance on corn as a feedstock only temporary. "It's a bridge (to) cellulosic ethanol and we can't jettison the present and not get to the future," he says.
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