"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
Max,

Here is the figures from the Dept of Ag;
These figure are for Corn Cellular is even better, with less emissions

Ethanol; working now

Ethanol has a positive energy balance, meaning the ethanol yields more
energy than it takes to produce it. It is an efficient fuel made through
an efficient process.
It takes less than 35,000 BTUs of energy to turn corn into ethanol,
while the ethanol offers at least 77,000 BTUs of energy. Ethanol's
energy balance is clearly positive.
Research studies from a variety of sources have found ethanol to have a
positive net energy balance. The most recent, by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, shows that ethanol provides an average net energy gain of
at least 77%.

One faulty, outdated study shows ethanol's net energy balance to be
negative. That research uses fundamentally flawed, decades old data that
is not valid considering today's efficiencies in agriculture and in
ethanol

Logic would presume that ultimately a compendium of different methods of
producing ethanol will be utilized, all with some degree of success. Like
it or not, ethanol is coming, and it will be the predominant source of fuel
for automobiles at some time in the future. Unlike petroleum, it is
renewable and meets at least some of the requirements of a cleaner-emission
fuel. Ethanol's detractors better get used to it.

Max