Energy in 2020: Assessing the Economic Effects of Commercialization of Cellulosic Ethanol

摘要

The United States is importing an increasing share of the petroleum that it consumes each year and world petroleum prices are projected to remain high over the next few decades. Without alternative sources of transportation fuel, the U.S. economy could face adverse economic and political consequences. Few viable alternatives exist for the crude oil used in transportation fuels. Although ethanol manufactured from corn can be used to replace gasoline, corn-based ethanol can replace only a limited amount of U.S. crude oil consumption. However, much more ethanol could be manufactured from the cellulosic materials in biomass, such as crop and forestry residues, energy crops, and wood wastes.