Ethanol by the Numbers

The New York Times - Even those who regard ethanol as the holy grail of energy policy concede that there is a right way and a wrong way to produce it. Done right, ethanol could help wean the country from its dependence on foreign oil while reducing the emissions that contribute to climate change. Done wrong, ethanol could wreak havoc on the environment while increasing greenhouse gases.

Congress was sufficiently excited about ethanol’s promise to order a fivefold increase in production by 2022, as part of the 2007 energy bill. Less than half would come from corn ethanol, which has been on the market for years. The rest would come from other sources, like small trees and plants. These advanced biofuels are nowhere near commercial production.