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Environmental
Qualities of Biofuels
Wednesday,
July 31, 2002
1:00-2:30
p.m.
2168
Rayburn House Office Building (Gold Room)
The
Environmental and Energy Study Institute sponsored a Congressional briefing
on the environmental qualities of biofuels. Currently, a proposed Renewable
Fuels Standard is before the House-Senate energy conference committee, which
would create a market for 5 billion gallons of biofuels by 2012.
As federal, state, and local leaders debate
various initiatives to encourage the production of ethanol
and biodiesel, questions often arise about the environmental performance
of biofuels. The briefing featured biofuels experts, who
addressed such questions as:
·
Should Biofuels Be Part Of A National Strategy to
Mitigate Climate Change?
The expert
panel included:
Ø
Michael Wang, Ph.D.,
Transportation Environmental Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory
Ø
Bruce Dale, Ph.D., Professor,
Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University
Ø
John Sheehan, Senior Engineer,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Last
year, 1.8 billion gallons of ethanol were produced
in the United States, with corn or other high starch
crops as feedstocks. A federal
research initiative is underway to
commercialize the production of ethanol from “cellulosic” biomass, such as
grasses, crop residues, or wood wastes, which could expand the production
of ethanol into nearly every region of the country.
Biodiesel, made from virgin or recycled vegetable oils, is a newer fuel
in the United States, but is a quickly growing
industry.
A recent
study by
Michigan State researchers Seungdo Kim and
Bruce Dale found that ethanol produced from corn has a net energy benefit of 56
percent, challenging the findings of a previous
Cornell University study that concluded ethanol
required more energy to produce than it provided. Researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory have shown
that corn ethanol can reduce life-cycle emissions of greenhouse gases by up to
35 percent compared to gasoline, whereas
cellulosic ethanol could achieve over 100 percent
reductions if produced in conjunction with electricity.
Biodiesel has been shown to have a net energy benefit, and to reduce
emissions of both greenhouse gases and air pollutants, according to a joint
study done by the Departments of Agriculture and Energy.
Presentations:
Studies:
"Allocation Procedure in Ethanol Production System from Corn Grain," International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Vol 7. #4 pgs. 237-243 (2002)
"Effect of Fuel Ethanol Use on Fuel-Cycle Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Argonne National Laboratory Study
"Life Cycle Inventory of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel for Use in an Urban Bus," National Renewable Energy Laboratory
"The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update" USDA report, released August 1, 2002.
To learn more about the environmental qualities of biofuels, check out EESI's ECO Newsletter, to subscribe
to this free electronic publication send your name, email address, and affiliation to eco@eesi.org.