Pointing to high fuel costs and dependence on foreign oil, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich wants his state to overhaul its energy sources with a strategy that experts said would be among the nation's most ambitious, including replacing half its current supply of gasoline from imported oil with that made from homegrown products in little more than a decade.
Mr. Blagojevich's aides said he would call for financial incentives to build up to 20 ethanol plants, five biodiesel plants and four facilities that would create ethanol from wastes like corn husks and wood pulp in Illinois, where five ethanol production plants operate now and where three more are under construction.
Department of Energy: Petroleum Profile: Illinois (January 2006)
# Population: 12,713,634 (2004) # Total Petroleum Consumption: 27.3 million gallons per day (2002) # Gasoline Consumption: 14.1 million gallons per day (2002) # Distillate Fuel Consumption: 4.6 million gallons per day (2002) # Liquefied Petroleum Gas Consumption: 2.3 million gallons per day (2002) # Jet Fuel Consumption: 1.6 million gallons per day (2002)
Department of Agriculture: Theoretical Ethanol Yield Calculator
Theoretical Yield in gallons of ethanol per dry ton of feedstock Corn Grain 124.4 Corn Stover 113.0
-------------------------------- State=Illinois ------------------------------- Planted Harvested Acres Acres Yield Production Rank Crop Unit (000) (000) Per Acre (000) 2 Corn for Grain Bu 11,200.00 11,050.00 129.00 1,425,450 14 Corn for Silage Ton . 120.00 16.50 1,980
Planted Harvested Acres Acres Yield Production Rank Crop Unit (000) (000) Per Acre (000)
2 Corn for Grain Bu 11,200.00 11,050.00 129.00 1,425,450 14 Corn for Silage Ton . 120.00 16.50 1,980
It is likely that some amount of ethanol production could serve a constructive purpose, but what we have is people wanting to pour huge amounts of development resources into its production to the exclusion of things like more efficient transportation systems. We will soon see the emergence of an ethanol lobby to rival the oil lobby.
We will soon see the emergence of an ethanol lobby to rival the oil lobby.
We like to call it "the farm lobby".
There will be a fight for the corn between the ethanol and beef factions of the farm lobby. Nothing is 'mere'. — Richard P. Feynman
The difference is that Brazil has been running pretty much on 100% ethanol since the 1970's, so for them it's not a pop-culture fad.
Now, when the governor of Illinois says he's going to get 50% of the state's fuel from biofuels, does he realise he's proposing to turn the state's entire agricultural production into biofuel feedstock crops?
Brazil has a lower population density, a lower fuel use per capita, and a tropical climate which allows sugar cane production [with twice the ethanol yield of corn]. What works in Brazil need not work in the US [and even less in Europe]. Nothing is 'mere'. — Richard P. Feynman
This is about Middle West corn for ethanol. When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind
Ethanol from corn is part of the picture tho, I think.
Here's a nice link, I think to sugar production:
http://www.sei.se/energy/sugarcane/7%20Producing%20sugar,%20ethanol%20and%20electricity.PDF#search=% 22Producing%2C%20sugar%2C%20ethanol%2C%20and%20electricity%22
Got a better one on sugar, will try to find it. "When the abyss stares at me, it wets its pants." Brian Hopkins
In the EU there is "set-aside" land that is left fallow with a Common Agricultural Policy subsidy to compensate the farmer for non-use (this was done to reduce production). Is there anything similar in the US? When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind
