How Much Energy Does It Take To Make A Gallon Of Ethanol?
| Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 12, 1995 The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/how-much-energy-does-it-take-make-gallon-ethanol/
One of the most controversial issues relating to ethanol is the question of what environmentalists call the “net energy” of ethanol production. Simply put, is more energy used to grow and process the raw material into ethanol than is contained in the ethanol itself? In 1992, ILSR addressed this question. Our report, based on actual energy consumption data from farmers and ethanol plant operators, was widely disseminated and its methodology has been imitated by a number of other researchers. This paper updates the data in that original report and addresses some of the concerns that some reviewers of the original report expressed.