but our state annually produces 400 million gallons of ethanol, with more production
capacity currently being built. About 260 million gallons of ethanol are currently
consumed in the state, and the rest -- 140 million gallons, or 35% of Minnesota's
total annual ethanol production -- is exported from the state.
In 2004, 160 million bushels of corn was processed into ethanol, about one sixth of
our total corn crop. In addition to ethanol, the conversion process (using the
"wet-mill process" produces corn oil, gluten meal, gluten animal feed, and corn oil
as by-products. Ethanol production is truly beneficial for Minnesota's corn farmers
-- corn-to-ethanol conversion produces about twice the money value that simply
selling corn as a commodity does.
While there are reasonable concerns about the environmental impact of farming to
raise corn for ethanol, it's clear that corn farming in Minnesota is not likely to go
away, whether or not it's used for ethanol. In the future, the infrastructure being
created now for ethanol production will enable producers to efficiently bring other
plant crops into ethanol production. Crops currently being researched include
some perennials such as switchgrass. These developments will help reduce the
reliance on a single crop, and allow improvements in soil conservation and other
issues of environmental concern. Ethanol production helps endangered farming
communities to survive economically, and helps farmers continue farming.
Renewable biofuels of various kinds are clearly going to be a significant factor in
our future efforts to control global warming.
The Minnesota Department of agriculture maintains a web page with information
about corn-to-ethanol production. Click here to visit the website.
"biodiesel", meaning diesel fuel that is derived from plant and animal oils and fats.
Minnesota was the first state in the country to require the use of biodiesel fuel. As
of July, last year (2005), diesel fuel sold in Minnesota is required to contain at least
2% biodiesel fuel. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture maintains a website
with information about biodiesel. Click here to visit the biodiesel website.
To refine gasoline from crude petroleum, you must burn fossil fuels for the heat and
electricity the refinery needs to produce that 1 gallon. You consume more
energy making 1 gallon of gasoline than is contained in the gasoline. This
situation is possible because you can simply mine or pump as much coal or
petroleum as you need to burn, in order to keep refining gasoline. The "energy
balances" for ethanol and biodiesel are still the subjects of research and
controversy, but some interesting information about these balances can be found
on the following websites:
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ethanol/economicimpact.pdf
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ethanol/balance.html
and the really excellent Ethanol Forum on the Oregon Department of Energy
website: http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/RENEW/Biomass/forum.shtml
Map: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ethanol/images/plantmap.gif.