Many industry professionals in the United States believe that bioenergy could help meet the country’s growing transportation fuel demand. However, recent analyses from some experts suggest that biofuels may not be a sustainable or practical long-term solution for the U.S. energy needs.
Biofuels, such as ethanol made from corn, sugarcane, switchgrass, or other crops, are often promoted as an alternative to fossil fuels. But when looking at the scale of U.S. energy consumption, these sources barely make a dent. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one hectare of grain can produce about 350 gallons of ethanol. However, ethanol has lower energy density compared to gasoline—burning only two-thirds as much energy. Moreover, the production process itself is energy-intensive, and after accounting for all inputs, the net energy gain is less than half of the initial estimate.
Even if the entire 73 million hectares of grain farmland in the U.S. were dedicated to ethanol production, it would generate just 25.5 billion gallons of ethanol, equivalent to about 17 billion gallons of gasoline. This represents less than 10% of the 170 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel consumed annually by U.S. vehicles. By 2025, even if all 300 million hectares of arable land were used for ethanol, it would still only cover about half of the nation’s transportation fuel needs. Such a shift would have serious consequences for food production and agricultural sustainability.
Experts also point to Brazil as a contrast. Although Brazil consumes only 10 billion gallons of fuel per year—far less than the U.S.—it has successfully developed a large-scale ethanol industry based on sugarcane. With 60,000 miles of roads (compared to over 4 million in the U.S.), Brazil’s infrastructure is much smaller, and its vast sugarcane production provides ample feedstock for ethanol. In contrast, the U.S. must balance food security with energy production, making large-scale ethanol expansion difficult without compromising domestic agriculture.
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