Studies remeasure corn-based ethanol’s impact, potential

Ethanol Producer Magazine - January 2009
By Jerry W. Kram

Corn-based ethanol production has often been and will likely continue to be scrutinized. Recently, two studies commissioned by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board updated corn-based ethanol’s energy balance and evaluated global corn supply, while another study examined what would happen if corn-based ethanol plant construction levels off.

To determine ethanol’s energy balance, Steffan Mueller, principal research economist of the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, conducted a life cycle analysis of Illinois River Energy LLC, a 50 MMgy ethanol plant near Rochelle, Ill. Using surveys of local corn growers and USDA data, he concluded the facility had 21 percent less of a global warming impact (GWI) than the standard value for existing ethanol plants, and 40 percent less GWI than gasoline from petroleum. “We wanted to dig deeper and actually survey the corn producers who are providing corn to the plant, which led us to get involved in the land-use issue,” said Rodney Weinzierl, the board’s executive director. “We think that as you get outside the corn industry, a lot of people may not realize we are continuing to increase yields and use fewer inputs to do it.”

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