Move America Beyond Oil

Biofuels Can Cut Pollution

Biofuels have the potential to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year. That's equal to more than 80 percent of our transportation-related emissions. Right now, the main biofuel on the market is ethanol, made from corn kernels. In order to maximize biofuels' carbon-cutting potential, however, we'll have to use more than just kernels. The biofuels of the future are called cellulosic biofuels, and they're made from the leaves, stems and stalks of a plant. These fuels could start flowing from gas pumps in the near future - at least six small commercial scale plants should be operational in the next few years.

Cellulosic biofuels aren't inherently better for the environment, however. Much depends on how they're produced. Chopping down forests to clear land for growing biofuel crops, for example, would end up increasing global warming pollution -- because forests are a major source of carbon storage -- as well as creating a host of other environmental problems.

At $40 per dry ton, farmers growing 200 million tons of biomass in 2025 could make a profit of $5.1 billion per year.

But growing some biofuels crops could actually improve land that's no longer productive. Perennial prairie grasses such as switchgrass can yield a lot of cellulose for making biofuels, and can be good for the land as well. They're native to many parts of the country, don't require a lot of pesticides and fertilizers, and use water efficiently. Prairie grasses can also make good wildlife habitat.

Biofuels are ready to compete in the market with fossil fuels. They're not hypothetical, future technologies; they're available now, and production can be stepped up dramatically. Economists estimate that by 2015, we could produce biofuels for sale at prices equal to, or lower than, average recent gas and diesel prices.

Biofuels also can be a major revenue source for U.S. agriculture. At $40 per dry ton, farmers growing 200 million tons of switchgrass in 2025 could make a profit of $5.1 billion per year. And that's just the beginning. Experts say farmers could produce six times that amount by 2050.

The government should get behind the rapid development of cellulosic biofuels, creating policies that will get better fuels into our tanks, fast -- while also ensuring that biofuels are produced in a way that makes the most of their carbon-cutting potential and minimizes potential environmental damage. Environmental performance standards and requirements can ensure that a jump in biofuels production doesn't swallow native forests or lead to an increase in water pollution from excessive fertilizer use. Here's what else we need to get biofuels to work for us:

• The country needs aggressive federal investment in research and development of cellulosic biofuels, as well as government incentive programs to get producers on board.
• Only 1 percent of the gas stations around the country have a biofuel pump. To give consumers more choice, a quarter of the gas stations in the nation should offer at least one biofuel pump.
• Today, only 2.5 percent of vehicles on the road are flex-fuel vehicles. All vehicles sold by 2015 should be able to use both traditional fuels and biofuels.
• Ramped up biofuels production must go hand in hand with ramped up fuel-economy performance in cars and trucks, since we won't break our oil addiction without making more efficient use of fuel.