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AIMS Energy

2015, Volume 3, Issue 1: 25-40. doi: 10.3934/energy.2015.1.25
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Research article Special Issues

Economic Potential for Energy Cane Production as a Cellulosic Biofuel Feedstock in the Southeastern United States

  • 1.
    Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA;
  • 2.
    Delta Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS;
  • 3.
    Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
  • Received: 01 December 2014 Accepted: 25 January 2015 Published: 30 January 2015

  • The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 established the Renewable Fuels Standard which set forth goals for domestic renewable fuel production of cellulosic and advanced biofuels in the United States. A major issue confronting the achievement of these biofuel utilization goals is the probability that the eventual expansion of advanced cellulosic biofuel production would be sufficient to meet the stated goals. Current long range projections of cellulosic biofuel production are expected to remain significantly below statutory targets due to the limited supply and expected development of cellulosic biofuel production. The production capacity expansion of advanced cellulosic biofuel has been identified as a major challenge in meeting the Renewable Fuels Standard. Energy cane has been identified as a crop with having significant potential to be developed as a biofuel feedstock crop. The greatest challenge currently facing the production of energy cane is the ability to expand production of the crop outside temperate zones. Within the six-state study area, approximately 1.15 million hectares were identified as idle cropland having the greatest potential for energy cane production. With a low seed cane expansion planting ratio and harvest through a fourth stubble crop, total energy cane production costs were estimated to be $113 per dry metric ton of feedstock. At higher planting ratios, projected total energy cane production costs were below $70 per metric ton.

    Citation: Michael E. Salassi, Lawrence L. Falconer, Tyler B. Mark, Michael A. Deliberto, Brian M. Hilbun, Todd L. Cooper. Economic Potential for Energy Cane Production as a Cellulosic Biofuel Feedstock in the Southeastern United States[J]. AIMS Energy, 2015, 3(1): 25-40. doi: 10.3934/energy.2015.1.25

    Related Papers:

  • The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 established the Renewable Fuels Standard which set forth goals for domestic renewable fuel production of cellulosic and advanced biofuels in the United States. A major issue confronting the achievement of these biofuel utilization goals is the probability that the eventual expansion of advanced cellulosic biofuel production would be sufficient to meet the stated goals. Current long range projections of cellulosic biofuel production are expected to remain significantly below statutory targets due to the limited supply and expected development of cellulosic biofuel production. The production capacity expansion of advanced cellulosic biofuel has been identified as a major challenge in meeting the Renewable Fuels Standard. Energy cane has been identified as a crop with having significant potential to be developed as a biofuel feedstock crop. The greatest challenge currently facing the production of energy cane is the ability to expand production of the crop outside temperate zones. Within the six-state study area, approximately 1.15 million hectares were identified as idle cropland having the greatest potential for energy cane production. With a low seed cane expansion planting ratio and harvest through a fourth stubble crop, total energy cane production costs were estimated to be $113 per dry metric ton of feedstock. At higher planting ratios, projected total energy cane production costs were below $70 per metric ton.


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    [1] Congressional Research Service (2007) Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007: A Summary of Major Provisions. RL34294.
    [2] Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Public Law 110-140, U.S. Government Printing Office, Dec. 19, 2007.
    [3] Yacobucci BD, Capehart T (2009) Selected Issues Related to an Expansion of the Renewable Fuel Standard. Congressional Research Service. R40155.
    [4] Perlack RD, Wright LL, Turhollow AF, et al. (2005) Biomass as feedstock for a bioenergy and bioproducts industry: the technical feasibility of a billion-ton annual supply. Available from: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/bioenergy/pdfs/final_billionton_vision_report2.pdf.
    [5] U.S. Department of Energy (2011) U.S. Billion-Ton Update: Biomass Supply for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry. Available from: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/bioenergy/pdfs/billion_ton_update.pdf.
    [6] Energy Information Administration (2013) Cellulosic Biofuels Begin to Flow but in Lower Volumes than Statutory Targets. Today in Energy. U.S. Department of Energy, February 2013. Available from: http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=10131#.
    [7] Environmental Protection Agency (2013) EPA Proposes 2014 Renewable Fuel Standards, 2015 Biomass-Based Diesel Volume. Available from: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/renewablefuels/documents/420f13048.pdf
    [8] Energy Information Administration (2014) Annual Energy Outlook 2014, With Projections to 2040. U.S. Department of Energy. Available from: http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/pdf/0383(2014).pdf.
    [9] Congressional Budget Office (2014) The Renewable Fuel Standard: Issues for 2014 and Beyond. Available from: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/45477.
    [10] U.S. Department of Agriculture (2014) 2012 Census of Agriculture. United States Summary and State Data, Volume 1 Geographic Area Series—Part 51, AC-12-A-51. Available from: http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/news/hottopics/approved/topics071218.html
    [11] Salassi ME, Deliberto M, Hilbun BM (2014) Projected Costs and Returns—Sugarcane, Louisiana, 2014. LSU Agricultural Center, Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, A.E.A. Information Series No. 295 January 2014. Available from: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/4B534BE5-00EF-47E5-852B-955FAB2B31CF/97408/2014SugarBudgets .pdf
    [12] Gravois K, Fontenot D, Kimbeng C, et al. (2013) Yield and Fiber Content of High-Fiber Sugarcane Clones. Sugarcane Research Annual Progress Report. Sugar Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.
    [13] Lemus R, Baldwin B, Lang D (2011) Agronomic Suitability of Bioenergy Crops in Mississippi. Mississippi State University Extension Service, Pub. No. 2713. Available form: http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2713.pdf14.
    [14] Viator RP, Richard Jr EP (2012) Sugar and Energy Cane Date of Planting Effects on Cane, Sucrose and Fiber Yields. Biomass Bioenerg 40: 82-85. doi: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2012.02.002
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  • © 2015 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
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