ERS Bioenergy Research Plans 2007-8

Overview

The tremendous expansion of bioenergy production raises several key questions: Where will ethanol producers get the corn needed to increase their output? How will increased demand for biodiesel affect soybean markets? What will be the impact on livestock production of increased use of crops for energy? How will international markets for commodities and renewable energy be affected? Will rural communities benefit from local production of ethanol? Will food prices increase due to competing uses for grains? How will increased bioenergy production impact environmental quality? Although grain-based ethanol is currently the major source of biofuels in the U.S., continued research to improve the conversion efficiency of cellulosic biomass feedstocks eventually will increase the range of crops that can be grown for energy production in the future.