Don't mess with corn

Corn helps fuel American politics

Not long ago CARB set in place the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a standard that would significantly impact the use of much corn ethanol, not just in the California, but in the US.

Now, the research on corn ethanol has often been contradictory, but there has been plenty of independent, objective research that has produced some very unpleasant findings with corn ethanol and its impact on the environment.

Nonetheless, many have embraced corn ethanol as a path to cellulosic ethanol, an approach with some merit. Still, cellulosic ethanol cannot be an excuse for increased corn ethanol, especially ethanol with little benefit to the environment. Ultimately, if ethanol cannot move beyond corn, its time to start thinking beyond ethanol.

Can California, however, take such a stance? The courts are now going to decide that if two ethanol lobbying groups have their way (more).

Maybe cellulosic ethanol is for real?

But corn cob as feed?

Just finished an interesting piece on POET's advances in cellulosic ethanol. In a nutshell production costs have dropped from $4.13 to $2.35, but POET believes they can be further reduced to $2.00 per gallon when commercial production begins.

That's not bad compared to today's gasoline prices. Still, how much feedstock is available for such an application when it is still very corn-intensive? If corn demand goes up, won't these prices eventually go up?