Research projects 1000 gallons of ethanol per acre at less than $1 per gallon from poplar trees

In Washington state, a Washington State University researcher received a federal grant for his studies on converting poplar trees to ethanol.  Preliminary research showed yields of up to 1000 gallons per acre at a production cost of less than $1 per gallon.

Wood waste has been cited as a strong feedstock candidate for cellulosic ethanol production, and the head of the US Forest Service recently called for the conversion of underbrush to fuel, but this report is one of the few on the potential of ethanol produced from tree farms.

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