Today in Biofuels Opinion: “We’re kind of at the stage with biofuels where we were in early computers”
Brent Searle, economist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture: “We’re kind of at the stage with biofuels where we were in early computers. They were big. They were clunky. They weren’t as efficient as we’d like them to be. Looking back, they looked pretty silly compared to what we have now … (but) you gotta start somewhere with this stuff.”
An editorial in the Rapid City (SD) Journal: “The corn model for producing ethanol has become so successful it has become a victim of its own success. While low corn prices mean profits for the South Dakota ethanol industry, increasing demand for corn drives prices higher and ethanol profits lower. Cellulosic ethanol will be the next frontier for ethanol. But the technology to produce cellulosic ethanol is in its infancy. The 21 billion gallon federal requirement is more than aggressive — it’s unrealistic — primarily serving as a notice to investors and developers that the market will be there when the product is.”
