The US biofuels industry grew dramatically in the first decade of the 21st century, providing enough renewable fuels to replace almost 10% of our liquid transportation fuel needs.  Energy independence, environmental benefits, and the presence of surplus and low-priced grains were three of the major drivers for this expansion.  As the industry expanded, �food versus fuel� and energy security issues helped lead to the renewable fuel standard (RFS2) of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA).  The RFS2 has provided a �road map� for the US biofuels industry with the intention of limiting the amount of corn ethanol produced and rapidly increasing the amounts of sustainable advanced and cellulosic biofuels produced from non-food feedstocks.  While economically viable cellulosic ethanol production is proving to be a challenge, the production of advanced biofuels from simpler feedstocks such as winter barley, oilseeds, and sweet sorghum may help us reach some of the current RFS2 targets.  The production of �drop-in� fuels derived from non-food feedstocks via fast pyrolysis and related technology may help us reach the RFS2 targets of tomorrow and simultaneously help us to avoid �food versus fuel�, blend wall, and fuel fungibility issues.  Regardless of the type of biofuels produced or the methods used for producing them, the production of valuable co-products will help to lower the final cost of the biofuel.

Challenges and opportunities in the development of advanced biofuels: Past, present, and future

245th National Meeting (2013)

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