Biofuels on a Big Scale

January 7, 2008 | Source: ScienceNOW Daily News

The first large-scale study of “cellulosic” perennial crop-based fuels shows that switchgrass yields more than five times the energy needed to grow, harvest, and transport the grass and convert it to ethanol.

U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers also found that the switchgrass is carbon-neutral, since it absorbs essentially the same amount of greenhouse gases while it’s growing as it emits when burned as fuel.