Green and Getting Greener
Posted: April 22, 2008
Since it is Earth Day, it’s appropriate to point out that, despite the criticism - ethanol is green and getting greener.
According to an analysis conducted by the Argonne National Laboratory and released Monday by the Renewable Fuels Association, America’s ethanol industry has made dramatic efficiency gains in ethanol production over the last five years.
American ethanol facilities are using less energy and water than just five years ago while producing more ethanol. Water consumption is down 26.6 percent, grid electricity use down almost 16 percent and total energy use almost 22 percent lower.
The Argonne analysis compares ethanol industry data from 2001 to 2006. In 2001, U.S. ethanol production was 1.77 billion gallons. In 2006, U.S. ethanol production was 4.9 billion gallons, an increase of 276%.
“The dramatic improvements in dry mill ethanol production demonstrate this industry’s commitment to developing and utilizing the most efficient technologies available,” said Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen. “In the past five years, America’s ethanol industry has shown its ability to increasingly meet the fuel needs of the nation while addressing the climate change concerns of the planet. In the next five years, America’s ethanol producers will demonstrate their ability to develop and employ new technologies that further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, grow our nation’s supply of renewable fuel, and expand the basket of products from which ethanol is made. The future of this industry is bright and green.”
The increased use of ethanol is also helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from America’s automobile fleet. According to the GREET 1.7 model (the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation model developed by the Argonne Laboratory to evaluate various vehicle and fuel combinations on a full fuel-cycle basis), the production and use of 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol in 2007 resulted in the reduction of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions by 10 million tons, the equivalent of removing more than 1.5 million cars from American roads.