WHAT ALTERNATIVES EXIST TO CORN-BASED ETHANOL?
• The most commonly mentioned alternative to corn as a feedstock for ethanol production are cellulosic materials, low-value waste products such as switchgrass or sugar cane waste. Because these materials are more fibrous, however, it is expensive to break them down to a level at which fermentation – and the production of ethanol – can occur. • There is currently no commercial manufacturing of cellulosic biofuels in the United States, and only one demonstration plant in Canada. Reports indicate that cellulosic ethanol may be more than a decade away from commercial production. • Brazil, the world’s largest producer of ethanol, uses sugar as the feedstock for ethanol production. Because of subsidies and government mandates, ethanol commands between 40% and 55% of the Brazilian fuel market, far surpassing ethanol in the United States. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that sugar as a feedstock for American ethanol is not feasible, given the higher cost of sugar in
