Sun editorial:

Give ethanol a chance

The industry is in its infancy but already making adjustments to answer critics

Sat, May 31, 2008 (2:04 a.m.)

Ethanol made from corn is not a perfect solution to weaning the country from its dependence on increasingly expensive, dirty and decidedly finite foreign oil.

That much is clear from the criticisms that have been leveled at corn ethanol for years.

Many critics say it takes more energy to create the fuel than the fuel produces. Other critics say growing more corn than is needed for food harms the land. Rising food prices in the United States and elsewhere are partly blamed on the diversion of a significant portion of corn crops to fuel factories.

These and other criticisms contain more than a kernel of truth, no pun intended.

Yet we hope the ethanol industry perseveres at least for the near future, despite many critics calling for its demise. That’s because the industry is in its early years, which are always low-tech — look at the first cars, the first computers, the first cell phones.

Early years are also fraught with technical problems. Users of early typewriters, for example, couldn’t see what they were writing, and the ribbons were always jamming.

Like any other product, ethanol will likely improve once a market is assured. We can see it happening already. Just this week a Cambridge, Mass., company, Verenium Corp., opened a “second generation” ethanol plant in Louisiana. Another company broke ground on a second-generation plant in November in Georgia.

These plants do not use corn. Instead they use organic waste and nonfood crops to make ethanol, and their executives are expressing faith that their processes will quiet the critics.

The issue is not about whether ethanol will play a big role in America’s energy future, Verenium Chief Executive Carlos Riva told the Houston Chronicle. The issue is, he said, “How can we do it right?”

We are confident that the same American ingenuity that created second-generation ethanol plants will create a third generation, a fourth generation and so on, ultimately producing a viable alternative to foreign oil.

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

By lvken7

5/31/08 at 8:28 a.m.

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HOW?

Big Oil Controls ALL stations.

Where in LV can I buy Ethanol?
By jfnance32

5/31/08 at 9:44 a.m.

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Yes, ethanol will need a lot of improvement before it is viable. I am OK with pouring billions of taxpayer money into R&D. We should take some gambles. I wonder sometimes if this is just a big corporate farm taxpayer money giveaway.

Here are the current problems:

1. In the US, it takes more energy to make ethanol than what the ethanol generates. LOL

2. Gas with ethanol, reduces Mile Per Gallons (MPG). You are actually increasing the cost of transportion.

3. Gas with ethanol is hard on engines.

4. The more ethanol we used then more the price of food goes up (supply/demand effect)
By tigardspaz

5/31/08 at 7:18 p.m.

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There are 19 stations in Las Vegas that sell e-85. At the Rebel oil on Paradise road, the price of e-85 was $3.49 as of 5/26, compared to $3.67 for regular unleaded. Check out this website: http://www.e85refueling.com/locations.ph...

Ethanol from corn actually produces 30% more energy than required to manufacture it, according to one government estimate.

Ethanol from garbage produces seven times (almost eight) than what is required to manufacture it. Once it becomes available, it will cost about $1 a gallon. Check out this website. www.coskata.com/

Regarding fuel economy, auto manufacturers could engineer internal combustion engines to get better fuel economy on the higher octane e-85, but so far have been unable, except in the Saab 9-5.
By jfnance32

5/31/08 at 11:55 p.m.

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Here is a story (2005) stating the problems of producing corn ethanol consumes more energy than it generates. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...

The differences in the studies center around the by-products issue.

Even at 30% net energy it would be a poor choice. Stills sounds like consuming a lot of enegry to produce energy.

In Brazil Sugar to Ethanol is around 800% net energy. Corn in US to Ethanol is from a 30% net gain to a negative 30% loss.

At the mininum a car will lose 5 mpg in city when using ethanol gas mitures. A car using gas at $4.00 at 18 mpg for 10,000 miles will cost $2,222 a year. A car using gas/ethanol at $3.50 at 13 mpg for 10,000 will cost $2,692 a year. It would cost $400 more a year to use Ethanol.
By CharliePeters

6/1/08 at 1:25 a.m.

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What was the cause of death of Alexander Farrell, 46, expert on alternative fuels?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...
By GoToe

6/1/08 at 8:10 a.m.

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Whew! I'm glad I live in Indiana where I can get E85 for $2.76/gallon. So, a car using gas/ethanol at $2.76 at 13 mpg for 10,000 will cost $2,123 a year. It would save almost $100 a year to use Ethanol when compared to that $2,222 a year gas only car. (yes, copy-paraphrasing from above!)

http://e85prices.com/indiana.html

Wonder why wheat, rice, etc have gone up in price when we don't make fuel out of those? Hmmm. And historically these commodities move fairly independently, for example you can see bean prices go up and then corn goes down. It's never been the case that farming itself will cause one price to go up and so therefore all grain prices must go up. Nope. Different products, different markets.

What could be the common thread across the board that is actually increasing all prices? Hmmm.

Wonder why we still have a grain surplus, including corn, and the USDA still pays farmers not to plant? And the just passed farm bill increased subsidies to farmers not to plant?

Of course it's the increased cost of petroleum that has increased prices for everything and not just food. If you want to follow the money, do some research on the backers of the anti-competition stories, sorry, anti-ethanol stories. To jump start your efforts take a look at the American Petroleum Institute. I mean look at the energy independence picture of Brazil...we would never want that to happen here (so help us Exxon).
By jfnance32

6/1/08 at 9:10 a.m.

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The reason why ethanol mixed gas cost more outside of the corn rich Midwest is that they can’t pump ethanol mixed gas in the gas pipelines.

That makes it very expensive to distribute outside where it is made.

There is another cost to consider...the increase in food prices.

The price of corn has risen by 70%. The price of tortillas has double (100%) in Mexico. Part of animal feed is corn. Pork and chicken has risen by 15%.

One must understand the net energy concept.

Sugar to ethanol production has over 800% net energy gain. That is why ethanol works so well in Brazil. By the way, we heavily tax ethanol imports.

Corn to ethanol production is so lousy. It is anywhere from a 30% loss to a 30% gain. They need to pick something other than corn.
By avatar

6/1/08 at 10:30 p.m.

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Algae is the answer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DHjg9l-h...

Sequester carbon in algae - refine it - create different grades of diesel, jet fuel, and kerosene. They can use the CO2 from the coal stacks to make fuel. The water can be brackish or partially treated sewage water. What are we waiting for? Oh yes, the oil cartel (Exxon, Chevron) want to control this technology as well. Ethanol is not, nor ever will be the answer!
Algae is the future and the big oil companies know it.