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Cellulosic ethanol is a renewable fuel source produced from biomass- derivedproducts such as sugarcane waste (bagasse), switchgrass, rice straw and woodchips. Cellulose, a long-chain polysaccharide found in nearly all plant life, is the most abundant molecule on earth, and, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), its high-oxygen content reduces carbon monoxide better than any other oxygenated chemical compound.
Next-generation cellulosic ethanol uses advanced biological science to reduce the cost of ethanol production and enable access to a wide variety of biomass. Unlike traditional ethanol manufactured from corn or sugar, cellulosic ethanol production utilizes non-food, plant biomass as its feedstock source. The biomass is first broken down into fermentable sugars using acid or enzymatic hydrolysis and industrial enzymes, after which the sugars are fermented into ethanol using various fermentation organisms. Ethanol produced from cellulosic biomass is believed to have many benefits over first-generation ethanol including, the use of non-food feedstock, substantially greater yield of ethanol per acre of feedstock, minimal exposure to volatile commodity price risks across the production process and a more favorable environmental impact.
The production of cellulosic ethanol in the United States is supported by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which mandates that advanced biofuel production consist of 21 billion gallons by 2022, of which 16 billion gallons must come from cellulosic ethanol.
This renewable fuel, along with other intelligent alternative energy sources like wind, tide, solar, geothermal, and conservation will enable the worlds people to break their dependance on not just foreign oil but crude oil in general.