Energy bill a boon for ethanol, and a challenge

Alternative to corn needed to prevent food price spikes, meet fuel goal

WASHINGTON – By mandating a boom in ethanol output from sources other than corn, the energy bill President Bush is expected to sign presents a huge opportunity for the fledgling biofuels market


The U.S. currently produces nearly 7 billion gallons of ethanol, all of it made from corn, thanks in large part to government mandates and subsidies included in the 2005 energy bill. The 2007 bill, which passed the House Tuesday and the Senate last week, mandates 36 billion gallons by 2022, with 21 billion gallons coming from so-called cellulosic ethanol.

There are significant obstacles to meeting this goal, however, not least of which is devising a profitable method of producing cellulosic ethanol.

AP