Louisiana signs non-corn ethanol law for to procude a better biofuel

[Fledermaus]

Louisiana has signed into law legislation to develop an advanced biofuel industry that excludes corn as a feedstock, reports Biopact.

The Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative will promote high yielding non-corn crops that can be grown without excessive irrigation or application of fertilizers.

The legislation will provide funding for a network of small advanced biofuel manufacturing facilities that " not burden local water supplies and for a more broad-based economic development."

The resulting biofuel will "offer the consumer a less expensive substitute for unleaded gasoline in the form of E10, E20, E30, and E85," according to the text of the legislation (HB No. 1270).

"The development of an advanced biofuel industry will help rebuild the local and regional economies devastated as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by providing: (1) increased value added to the feed stock crops which will benefit the producers and provide more revenue to the local community; (2) increased investments in plants and equipment which would stimulate the local economy by providing construction jobs initially and the chance for full-time employment after the plant is completed; (3) secondary employment as associated industries develop due to plant coproducts becoming available at a competitive price; and (4) increased local and state revenues collected from plant operations would stimulate local and state tax revenues and provide funds for improvements to the community and to the region," states the text of the House Bill. "Blending fuel-grade ethanol with gasoline at the gas station pump will offer the Louisiana consumer a fuel that is less expensive, cleaner, renewable, and more efficient than unleaded gasoline."

"An advanced biofuel industry development initiative in Louisiana is vital to ensuring the broad-based rural economic development of Louisiana and is a matter of public policy."

http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0701-ethanol.html

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Sugar cane. Switch grass. And best of all --

Hemp.

All of them much better bio-fuel stock than corn.

[jwirr]

2. And switch grass and hemp can be grown on marginal lands.

[DCKit]

5. You forgot sorghum - needs little fertilizer, no irrigation...

and it's a triple use crop with seed, sugary juice for ethanol and leftovers for fodder or biomass.

But hemp works just as well. Lots of different uses there too.

[JohnWxy]

3. seems strange they would need a law mandating sugar cane as the feedstock. The climate in Louisiana

I would think would be ideal for sugar cane (lots of precipitation) more than for corn and sugar cane is much more productive than corn for ethanol.

They should talk to the Japanese about "Monster Cane"!

http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2006/10/monster_cane_fo.html

[provis99]

4. a cynical political ploy by the sugar lobby in Louisiana

I hate the corn and sugar lobbyists.