03-21-2007, 06:46 AM
Actually, ethanol is a perfectly good potential fuel for Hawaii - just not at the present time. The Holy Grail of ethanol is not using corn or even sugarcane (though sugarcane is far more efficient than corn), but developing the technology to convert all plant biomass into ethanol - stalks, leaves, roots, all of it. We're still a good ways away from being able to do this, so we're probably looking at 10-20 years. Once such conversion is possible, Hawaii should be in good shape since what is needed to be economically feasible is a year-round supply of plant material - something the east side of big island should be able to take care.
As far as the worry about huge industrial plants, the current thinking is that ethanol from biomass will have to be local and small-scale. The simple economics is that if the plant matter has to be transported too far, it doesn't work out; i.e., the cost and fuel for transport takes too much away from the efficiency.
Is ethanol the solution to all problems? Of course not. Conservation and efficiency are the gorillas in the closet that politicians, and most citizens, don't want to touch. Most reasonable estimates are that ethanol could make up perhaps 20-40% of the US fuel needs, assuming a reasonable commitment also to conservation and efficiency.
Olin137
As far as the worry about huge industrial plants, the current thinking is that ethanol from biomass will have to be local and small-scale. The simple economics is that if the plant matter has to be transported too far, it doesn't work out; i.e., the cost and fuel for transport takes too much away from the efficiency.
Is ethanol the solution to all problems? Of course not. Conservation and efficiency are the gorillas in the closet that politicians, and most citizens, don't want to touch. Most reasonable estimates are that ethanol could make up perhaps 20-40% of the US fuel needs, assuming a reasonable commitment also to conservation and efficiency.
Olin137