Ethanol production in the US?

Question

Maybe I am missing something here but...

If the US uses 146 billion gallons of gas per year

It would take 270 Million acres of farmland to produce that in ethanol.

That would be 420,000 Square miles of farmland.

My question is, why isn't the Government offering huge rebate insentives on Ethanol vehicals, knowing they would grow the tax base in the renewable energy sector at home to make up for it? Also how much farmland is available in the US. I do realize that Corn is not the best choice and that saw grass and hemp would produce a much higher yield per acre but thats another issue

Answer 1

My only guess would be the risk of pricing normal food consumers out of being able to buy corn, since corn for ethanol would be turned into a much more valuable product.

Or that we need that land for food production because there is a global food shortage.

I almost forgot the oil interests of many of our Federal Government's members. (not to name names)

Answer 2

You are completely right..You have put us to think..Thank you

Answer 3

so in other words you wont do anything to help save the environment and make the U.S. energy independant unless you get a huge tax break. also i believe there are better ways to fuel vehicles. hydrogen for one which discharge is simply water and clean pure water at that. and why not stop subsidizing tobacco growers and have them grow corn or switchgrass instead of a product that kills people. and the reason we dont grow hemp is because being a member of the cannabis family its illegal.

Answer 4

Ethanol is an illusion, vehicles burn much more ethanol per mile than they do gasoline. The corn raised for ethanol is government subsidized, which makes it much more profitable to farmers than are crops to feed livestock and humans, hence the price of beef and produce is sky rocketing. Ethanol is not the answer, US needs better mass transit and more fuel efficient cars, Europe has been paying more for gasoline than we are paying now for decades. Look at how they get around! They have excellent mass transit, very fuel efficient cars, not everyone owns an automobile, they have been on the conservation kick for decades. We are spoiled in the US, we have moved farther and farther away form our jobs so we could have big houses on big pieces of property making our commutes to work energy wasting excursions. Farmers are selling their farmland to developers for new sub divisions. We better wake up before its too late.

Answer 5

Ethanol cars may not be the future of transportation. Hybrids or hydrogen cars are the future of the U.S. auto business. Ethanol is at best a fuel additive. Ethanol producers are already getting a .51 cent per gallon tax credit.

If I remember correctly, if the U.S. was able to grow corn in every state, it would only replace roughly 12% of the gas we use today.