New biofuel to spar with ethanol

MansfieldNewsJournal
May 10, 2011
Written by Philip Brasher
Columnists - Opinion

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Imagine filling up the car on a fuel that isn't made from oil but doesn't have the drawbacks of corn ethanol, including its lower energy content and ability to damage older cars or gas pumps.

Such fuels could be made from the same sources as ethanol, including corn and corncobs as well as straw, trees and other abundant types of biomass. But these fuels would be synthetic versions of today's gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Unlike ethanol, a renewable version of gasoline could be used in any amount in today's engines, filling stations and pipelines.

The prospect of these fuels is coming up in a debate over the direction of the government's biofuel policy as Congress is slashing spending to reduce the budget deficit.

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