Study: Ethanol Production Is Becoming More Energy Efficient

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln in a recent study has found that ethanol production is more energy efficient than previously thought, AgriMarketing reports. The research was praised by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) for showing how much of a difference technology improvements can make.

Steve Ruh, chairman of NCGA’s ethanol committee said, “It’s going to go far in dispelling one of the most persistent and incorrect myths about ethanol.”

The research was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Kenneth Cassman of the university’s Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research, and has been submitted to the Journal of Industrial Ecology. Cassman said it is important to understand that ethanol has a substantial net positive direct energy balance — that 1.5 to 1.6 more units of energy are derived from ethanol than are used to produce it.