What future role for biofuels?

Abstract

The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) put the nation on a course that included a greatly expanded national renewable fuel standard (RFS). This RFS created several escalating volumetric mandates, including 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol each year by 2015, and a total of 21billion gallons each year of advanced biofuels, cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel by 2022. For corn ethanol, the 15-billion-gallon target represents a doubling of what had been considered just 2 years. Transportation is responsible for approximately 70% of the oil used in this country. For perspective, the 15- and 21-billion gallon mandates of EISA should be compared to the much larger overall transportation sector oil demand.