Ethanol Industry Sets Record in 2005

RenewableEnergyAccess.com ^ | March 6, 2006 | staff

[kellynla]

thanks for the links and your contribution...
nice to have someone bring something instructive to the thread instead of the nay-saying blather from those who are totally ignorant of the advances in ethanol production! LOL

Bottom line, whatever the cost, it's cheaper than the life of one Marine!

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[Trinity5]

What is your issue? We are not Brazil. We do not have large quantities of sugar cane which is why we cannot produce ehtanol as cheaply. If you didn't know most of your table sugar comes from sugar beets, not sugar cane. Are the facts confusing you? Just because you keep repeating it does not make it true to us.

[Mr. Lucky]

Try googling on something to the effect of "Pimental study debunked". As it turns out, Professor Pimintal has no idea how corn is raised or what it's used for.

[norraad]

Just like our whole basis for poo poing freon r-12 was based on bogus research at USC by 3 "acedemic" idiots sponsored by Du Pont.

[Trinity5]

The State of Iowa offers a $.025 tax credit for every gallon of ethanol or ethanol added gasoline for gas stations in Iowa.

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

"All the farm lobby should invest and become overnight millionaires."

Oh no! We can't make millionaires out of farmers... What would happen to all the millionaires we are making in the mid-east?

[norraad]

Woops, academic, I was subconsciously going for "ace demonic", I reckon. Funny how the mind works.

[Trinity5]

Gee I wonder who debunked it? I wonder if it's on Ethanol.org?

[Toddsterpatriot]

Brazil produces ethanol for a buck a gallon.

Excellent. No more need for a government subsidy. Hope you get rich without it.

[Designer]

"Maybe if we could import Brazil's cheap sugar or their cheap ethanol."

No maybe. We'll be importing both, or did you forget about CAFTA?

[kellynla]

"Wrong. It depends on the current world price of sugar. When sugar is up Brazil imports oil to offset the increased demand of sugar. when the price is down they produce ethanol."

you oughta know better than to tell me I'm wrong without documentation.

"Not only does Brazil no longer have to import oil but an estimated $69 billion that would have gone to the Middle East or elsewhere has stayed in the country and is revitalizing once-depressed rural areas."

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/02/06/8367959/index.htm

[clodkicker]

MYTH:
Ethanol takes more energy to produce than it contributes.
FACT: In June 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its 2002 analysis of the issue and determined that the net energy balance of ethanol production is 1.67 to 1. For every 100 BTUs of energy used to make ethanol, 167 BTUs of ethanol is produced. In 2002, USDA had concluded that the ratio was 1.35 to 1. The USDA findings have been confirmed by additional studies conducted by the University of Nebraska and Argonne National Laboratory.

These figures take into account the energy required to plant, grow and harvest the corn—as well as the energy required to manufacture and distribute the ethanol.

The net energy balance of ethanol production continues to improve because ethanol production is becoming more efficient. For example, one bushel of corn now yields 2.8 gallons of ethanol—up from 2.5 gallons just a few years ago

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

World Bank estimates that Brazil produces ethanol for a buck a gallon...compared to the international cost of gasoline which is a buck and a half!

Brazil grows a lot of sugarcane, which is unsurprising given its tropical climate.

We grow corn--and making ethanol from corn is much more difficult than making it from sugarcane (and, hence, more expensive).

Ethanol, as practiced in this country, is nothing but welfare to Archer Daniels Midland, which doesn't need my tax dollars to be profitable.

[Toddsterpatriot]

We'll be importing both, or did you forget about CAFTA?

Brazil is in CAFTA?

[Mr. Lucky]

Gee, you would be wrong.

Try the Argonne National Laboratory.

[kellynla]

my issue is that there are alternative sources of fuel and energy than having my fellow Marines get killed in the Middle East just so Americans can have gasoline...

there are other sources of ethanol than corn and sugar...like switchgrass

[Toddsterpatriot]

For every 100 BTUs of energy used to make ethanol, 167 BTUs of ethanol is produced.

This would be excellent news if it were true. When will it produce more money than it consumes?

[Designer]

"..Brazilian ethanol cannot be imported into the US.."

Soon, pard, soon.

Look for FTAA (my earlier post said CAFTA, my bad.)to erase all import tarifs on ethanol from Brazil.

Still, CAFTA will get us sugar, and possibly ethanol from Central American countries sooner, and with no duty.

Just a matter of time until FTAA is passed.

[kellynla]

switchgrass

[Wasanother]

I'm sure there's overhead and like anything, initial cost are always higher but that cost is not due to energy cost to produce in comparison to gasoline. To me even if it was $1 higher than gas, as long as it eliminated OPECs blackmailing us I would pay it.