May 14, 2010
Opinion: Ethanol helps cut imports of foreign oil
Published in the Grand Forks Herald
CLIMAX, Minn. — Ever since area farmers started producing ethanol, opponents have been questioning the total energy balance of ethanol production.
Now more than ever, with gas prices pushing $3 or even $4 a gallon, most Americans agree that our country needs to reduce its imports of foreign oil.
So, let me suggest that we need to produce and use more ethanol to replace that foreign oil.
Basically, three types of energy are used to produce ethanol: natural gas, electricity and fossil fuel. Most of the energy used to produce ethanol comes from natural gas and electricity.
By using natural gas and electricity, we simply are engaging in domestic commerce. That’s only good for the country.
So, how much fossil fuel are we investing in ethanol production, and what are we getting for it? Let’s go to the cornfield and see how it plays out.
One acre of corn produces 165 bushels (2009 national average).
We get 2.7 gallons from each bushel of corn.
Multiply 165 by 2.7, and you get 445.5 gallons of ethanol per acre.
Now, consider that five gallons of fossil fuel per acre are used in traditional farming practices such as planting, harvesting, transportation and so on
Divide 445 gallons by five, and you get 89 gallons of ethanol per acre.
Conclusion: 89 gallons of ethanol are produced for every gallon of fossil fuel consumed.
Now, that is a high gain in replacing foreign oil, but let’s look at another practical scenario.
With today’s modern agriculture techniques, there are many farms where field size is a quarter section — 160 acres. Also, many areas in this country practice no-till farming, and there are many farms that have yields of 200 or more bushels per acre.
So, 160 acres of corn x 200 bushels per acre = 32,000 bushels.
Most ethanol plants yield ....
