Ethanol Overview
Industry Growth and Federal Programs
The promotion of alternatives to petroleum, including fuel ethanol, has been an ongoing goal of U.S. energy policy. This promotion has led to the establishment of significant Federal policies beneficial to the ethanol industry, including tax incentives, import tariffs, and mandates for ethanol use. The costs and benefits of ethanol, and the policies that support it, have been questioned. Areas of concern include whether ethanol yields more or less energy than the fossil fuel inputs needed to produce it; whether it decreases reliance on petroleum in the transportation sector; whether its use increases or decreases greenhouse gas emissions; and whether…
