Cellulosic Ethanol at a Glance
Cellulose refers to the material comprising the cell walls of any green plant and is the most common organic compound found on Earth. Cellulosic ethanol is ethanol produced by turning the sugars in cellulose into alcohol fuel. Advanced ethanol, by comparison, is sourced from feedstocks that are not cellulose and are not starch found in grains, such as corn.
More than 20 pilot and demonstration-scale cellulosic facilities are operating today, in 17 states. Each facility is utilizing its own proprietary technology while looking to convert wood waste, agricultural residues, municipal waste, and other non-grain feedstocks into ethanol. Government estimates suggest ethanol production from these sources could exceed 90 billion gallons per year.
Cellulosic Ethanol's Next Step
Accelerating commercialization of these technologies requires the continued partnership of federal government to ensure investments are made by the private sector. In order for this to happen, the federal government must:
- Review and revise Department of Energy loan guarantee programs to make them more accessible for cellulosic ethanol to producers.
- Provide consistent federal policy, including reasserting the importance of the RFS2 and its cellulosic ethanol requirement for use.
- Increase the amount of ethanol used in a gallon of gasoline from the arbitrary cap of 10 percent.
Current Next Generation Feedstocks Under Development
- Crop residues, such as corn cobs and stalks, wheat straw, and rice hulls
- Grasses, such as switchgrass and myscanthus
- Sugar wastes
- Wood wastes and fast growing trees
- Municipal solid waste
- Algae
