News

Peterson skeptical of cellulosic ethanol

The ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee has concerns about the long-term viability of cellulosic ethanol.

Collin Peterson of Minnesota says he was originally a proponent of the technology.

“But the more I look at this, I just don’t think there is any significant amount of ethanol that’s going to be produced here.”

He tells Brownfield plants that add the capability of turning corn stover (the existing cobs, stalks, leaves and husks remaining after harvest) into cellulosic ethanol have the best chance for success.

“But the idea that you’re going to have switchgrass or some other big source of biomass that’s going to produce cellulosic…I don’t think it’s going to happen.  And the two companies that pushed this: Iogen and Abengoa…one of them is out of business (and) the other one went bankrupt.”

Peterson says cellulosic ethanol will need to be significantly subsidized by the federal government to become a viable fuel option, and he doesn’t see that happening.