U.S. ethanol from corn could double by 2030: group

Reuters
Thu Oct 1, 2009 11:50am EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. farmers could grow enough corn to produce 25 billion gallons of ethanol in 2030, twice as much as this year's target of 12 billion gallons, said the leader of a U.S. corn group on Thursday.

U.S. yields could double in 20 years, said Darrin Ihnen, president of the National Corn Growers Association.

Potentially, there would be enough corn in 2030 to produce 25 billion gallons of ethanol, he said.

A 2007 law set a ceiling of 15 billion gallons a year of corn-based ethanol to be blended into fuel in 2015 and a goal of 21 billion gallons of "advanced biofuels," such as ethanol from cellulose found in woody plants, grass and crop debris.

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