Supply

• If all US corn and soybean products were converted to ethanol, the amount of fuel produced could only meet 12% of the national gasoline demand
• If all US corn and soybean products were converted to biodiesel, the amount of fuel produced could only meet 6% of national diesel demand

 

 Production

Currently, the United States produces 14 billion gallons a year of ethanol. This ethanol is predominately corn-based. The 2007 Energy Independence Act requires the production to increase nearly three-fold, to 36 billion gallons by 2022. In order to meet this demand, the United States must look to elsewhere, away from the cornfield.

Lately, there has been overall increase in the demand of biofuel in America. From 2012 to 2013, the amount of biodiesel produced increased 35% to 1.34 billion gallons.

Primary Author: Harrison Congdon

Editor: Kaitlyn Koch

References:

1. http://www.c2es.org/technology/factsheet/Biopower
2. http://www.economist.com/node/21542431
3. http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2014/05/biofuels-u-s-biomass-based-diesel-imports-increase-to-record-levels-in-2013.html