The Economic Realities, Sustainable Opportunities, and Technical Promises of Biofuels

Abstract

The supply of petroleum transportation fuels appears to be increasingly finite, while demand only continues to grow. This disparate situation leaves sole dependence on petroleum as a transportation fuel unattractive for many countries, including the United States. As the United States looks to diversify its portfolio of available fuels, it has a number of emerging options. Ethanol and biodiesel have been the dominant fuels to-date, but new production methods and alternative feedstocks may bolster their suitability for wide-scale adoption. Other fuel types such as biogas and Fischer-Tropsch liquids may offer further options for countries to use to displace petroleum. This article inventories some of the emerging alternative fuel technologies and discusses the issues affecting their potential adoption.