Printer-friendly version Reader Comments

Maine should be bankrolling research into cellulosic ethanol, for the good of all of us.

Rep. John McDonough August 5, 2007

— Rising gas prices are pressuring Mainers. Nearly every station has been selling regular for around $3. But rising energy costs are attacking pocketbooks and wallets in more places than just the local gas station.

We haven't seen much of it in Maine, but the use of E-85 ethanol, a mixture of conventional gasoline and corn-based ethanol, is on the rise.

The increase in demand for ethanol has doubled corn prices over the past year, triggering an upsurge in the price of such food staples as dairy and meat products.

Chicken farmers have seen their cost of doing business climb nearly 40 percent due to the soaring price of feed corn.

These sudden increases pose a real problem for Maine families on a tight grocery budget. To make matters worse, they also don't see the rewards of corn-based biofuels because they are not available locally.

However, the tide may soon be turning. Researchers at the University of Maine have developed technology to convert wood byproduct into cellulosic ethanol.

This process holds tremendous promise for the Maine economy and the nation as a whole.

With a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation and the possibility of more federal dollars coming soon, Maine researchers are ready to take the next step to make wood-based ethanol commercially viable.

If successful, Maine, with its immense forests, could become the Saudi Arabia of biofuels.

ADVANTAGES OF WOOD

Using wood for ethanol is attractive on many levels.

For one, it takes much less energy to grow trees. Fertilizer is not required, and Mother Nature takes care of irrigation. Trees also are available year-round and do not come and go with the growing season.

Wood is not a food source and it has a higher energy yield than corn. Unlike with corn-based ethanol, you get more energy out of the process than you put in.

Rising fuel prices are not the only reason this development is critical and timely. In the age of terrorism, we find ourselves reliant on foreign oil from countries run by hostile regimes, giving them the power to manipulate -- or cripple -- our economy. Energy independence isn't just about price security, it is about national security.

As a nation, we should embark on a focused and determined path to maximize alternative energy sources and break free of our dependence on foreign oil. Maine is already playing its part, and it would be wise for the federal government to provide the needed funds to our researchers to continue their groundbreaking work.

The United States is way behind in breaking our addiction to foreign oil.

Brazil started its ethanol program in 1975 and is now reaping the benefits of a society that runs mostly on biofuels made from sugar cane. Over 90 percent of cars sold there in 2006 were flex-fuel vehicles able to burn both gasoline and ethanol.

France is producing nearly three-quarters of its energy from nuclear power and is building more reactors to export energy throughout the European Union. Icelanders are harnessing geothermal energy for most of their electricity.

When we fell behind the Russians after they sent Sputnik into orbit in 1957, our country rose to the challenge with a tremendous effort to gain dominance in the area of space technology. We created NASA, launched the Apollo project and sent the first man to walk on the moon.

That's the kind of energy and spirit we need to reach the goal of total energy independence.

CLOSE-TO-HOME BENEFITS

The development of cellulosic ethanol will be a boon for Maine's economy. Our paper mills can use the leftover wood they usually burn or send to landfills for ethanol creation instead.

Processing plants, refineries and infrastructure for delivery will all need to be built. Loggers and tree farmers will be in high demand again. Scientists and engineers will be needed to constantly refine the conversion process.

Imagine how much a tank of ethanol would...