Can we move from foreign petroleum to domestic biofuels, including ethanol and biodiesel?
Back to FAQs Ethanol derived from corn kernels has the potential to replace a percentage of gasoline. According to Matthew Wald in Scientific American, there are serious questions as to whether the energy required to produce a gallon of ethanol is greater than the energy yielded by that ethanol when it is burned in a vehicle. Some energy audits conclude that there is a negative net energy gain, others slightly positive, but none shows a compelling energy contribution. Matthew Wald concludes, “the consensus among the analysts is that even if the net energy value of ethanol is positive, the margin is small”. Some question the wisdom of consuming an important food crop to produce a fuel, when we have oil, coal and nuclear fuels, none of which can be eaten. Ethanol is a hydrocarbon that releases carbon dioxide when it is burned, partially offset by the carbon dioxide consumed by the growing corn. If 100% of the US corn crop were diverted from food to ethanol, it would only displace about 7
Related Questions
- Some have challenged the net energy balance of biofuels. Is there an energy gain in the production of ethanol or biodiesel?
- What’s the advantage of biomass gasification over production of biofuels like ethanol or biodiesel?
- Can we move from foreign petroleum to domestic biofuels, including ethanol and biodiesel?
