Bruce Miller

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Confessions of an Agriculturist a biofuel
opportunity

• Bruce Miller
• Agricultural Systems Technology and Education

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Whats your Agricultural Paradigm?

• Human Food
• Feed for Livestock
• Fiber for Clothing
• Energy Production
• Sun 4 to 6 billion years
• Green plant photosynthesis
• Photovoltaic cells
• Petroleum, Coal, Uranium, Natural Gas ?

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Why Biofuels?

• Rudolph Diesel used peanut oil when developing
  compression ignition engines.
• Henry Ford ran first automobiles off of Ethanol
• We must learn to synthesize materials for every
  human need from the things that grow.
• - George Washington Carver

• Society must still rely on agriculture for food,
  feed, fiber AND . recognize fuel
  responsibility as well.

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Sustainable Energy Production

• Demand for food AND fuel projected to double by
  approximately 2050.
• Energy and food are both vital to our society!
• So, it appears to be a perfect opportunity not
  a perfect storm for agriculture.

• Agriculture will continue to play a significant
  role in Americas Energy economy.

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Food vs. Fuel?

• Commodity prices affect food prices????
• A 30 increase in corn price at the farm equates
  to 1.1 increase in food prices containing corn.
  (Center for Agriculture Rural Development
  ISU)
• Historically ethanol price does not track corn
  price. (Houston Biofuels Cons.)
• High energy prices cause higher food
  prices,Based on the historical relationship
  between crude oil prices and corn prices,
  current prices for corn are lower than one would
  predict,. (Consumers Federation of America)
• Gasoline prices would be higher if biofuels not
  blended with gasoline
• 20-35 cents per gallon (Samuel Bodman Secretary
  of the Energy Dept)

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Lets talk Ethanol

• U.S. capacity will approach 7.5 billion gallons
  by early 2009.
• The 2005 Renewable Fuels Standard sets the target
  at 36 billion gallons by 2022.
• Cellulosic ethanol production will yield 5x the
  energy needed to grow, harvest, transport, and
  convert.
• Based on near farm ethanol production sites.
• On-farm storage and processing

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Why Corn-based

• Think chicken vs egg
• Infrastructure building for near-farm production
  using other feedstocks
• High feed value from corn-based byproducts
• 96-180 energy content of wet distillers grains
  compared to corn

• Because we can.

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Biofuel Feedstocks

• Primary biofuels on commercial scale in U.S.
• Ethanol (3 today and 7 projected in 2010)
• Starch from corn and other grains
• Biodiesel (transesterfied)
• Soybeans and animal fats

• USDA POWER PLANTS at U.S. National Arboretum
• Corn, Sorghum, Sunflower, Canola, Algae, Castor
  Bean, Lesquerella, Sugar Cane, Hybrid Poplar,
  Alfalfa, Cuphea, African Oil Palm, Barley, Sugar
  Beet, Soybean, Camelina, Peanut, Mustard, Switch
  Grass, Miscanthus, Jatropha, Babassou Palm

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Where will Biofuels come from

• Most of the current federal RD is focused on the
  next generation of biofuels. High emphasis on
  lignocellulosic
• Short-rotation, perennial crops rapid regrowth
  after harvest with multiple harvest per planting.
  
• From a field to biorefinery
• Feedstocks will evolve to the most efficient
• Consumers need to shift their pardigm of
  sustainable energy and agricultural production

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References

• Andrejczak, M. 11 June, 2008. Government
  Ethanol helps keep gas prices low Senate hearing
  to delve into U.S. renewable fuels policy and
  food prices. MarketWatch The Wall Street
  Journal Digital Network. Retrieved 6/11/08
  www.marketwatch.com/news/story/govt-officials-etha
  nol-helps-keep/story.aspx?guid7B81858B8C-CD9D-48
  AC-8D4D-B7EBB762F3C77D
• Buchanan, G., et al., February, 2008. The New
  Paradigm in Agriculture. Resource. American
  Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
  
• Buchanan, G., et al., April, 2008. Biomass
  Feedstocks Opportunities to increase biofuels.
  Resource. American Society of Agricultural and
  Biological Engineers.
• Buchanan, G., et al., July, 2008.From Field to
  Biorefinery. American Society of Agricultural
  and Biological Engineers.
• Iowa State University Extension. 2007. Ethanol
  Coproducts for Cattle. IBC-19. Iowa State
  University.
• Johnson, T., Donkin, S., Schultz, M. 2006. Value
  of Distillers Grain Ethanol Co-Products to Dairy
  Replacements. ID-332-W. Purdue University.
• Westcott, P. 2007. U.S. Ethanol Expansion
  Driving Changes Throughout the Agricultural
  Sector. In Amber Waves the economics of food,
  farming, natural resources, and rural America.
  USDA-Economic Research Service. Retrieved
  7/22/08 www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/September07/
  Features/Ethanol.htm

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