Why are we not growing sugar cain for ethanol in Hawaii?

Question

It seems to me that the best crop from which to make ethanol is sugar cain. I know Hawaaii used to grow quite a bit of it but stopped. In the face of the drawbacks of trying to make ethanol from corn, why are we not growing all the cain we can in Hawaaii?

Answer 1

Actually, there has been a lot of discussion about growing sugar cane for bio-fuel here recently, but there is a considerable amount of red tape involved. If it does get off the ground, it will probably be used locally for either ethanol for gasoline or for electrical production; I'd be surprised if there will ever be an exportable surplus.

For more info, you can check this story from today's Honolulu Advertiser:

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/p...

Answer 2

I remember when we used to get Pure Cane Sugar from Hawaii as well and wondered the same thing, we did it there before, it would definitely be profitable.

probably something to do with WTO.

Answer 3

I believe biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel are the answer, however, there are a few problems we must overcome. Cellulose ethanol is our eventual goal as it has an energy return of 1:16 (you get 16 for every 1 you put in). However, it is at least a decade away from being viable. For the time being, we must use sugar for ethanol. Corn, has low sugar content compared to sugar cane, but sugar cane requires more effort and energy to grow. The reason why we use corn is because we have more corn more readily available for distillation. Corn is also nearer to most of the ethanol plants. If we were to build some ethanol plants near the Gulf Coast, the sugar grown there could be used for fuel.

Answer 4

What are you going to give up to get it? Canefields that provide sugar for eating? Pineapple plantations? Disappearing tropical rain forest?

Answer 5

Ethanol is basically Alcohol, and can be made from any organic matter.

Corn is of the same family as sugar cane, and can be grown in more areas than sugar cane can.

much the same as sugar beets can be grown in more moderate climates than sugar cane.

Spreckles sugar is made from sugar beets, and you know where corn syrup comes from, as does corn oil, which is also used as an alternative fuel.