Science Daily published the results of a five year switchgrass-ethanol program that demonstrated net energy gains of 540 percent. (Science Daily, Jan 14,2008)
The study stretched across three states measuring the net energy output, greenhouse gas emissions and biomass yields of farmed switchgrass crops. Net energy gains of switchgrass outperform corn-ethanol production. Switchgrass-ethanol greenhouse gas emissions is 94 percent lower than gasoline emissions. Finally the study demonstrated per acre yields of switchgrass-ethanol production is significantly higher than corn-ethanol production meaning less land requirements to produce energy. As a side note switchgrass is much more adaptable to marginal land planting, and in fact is an effective erosion management crop for stressed or marginal land.
The USDA will payout well over a billion dollars to keep about 35 million acres of land in a state of reserve this year. A question for our legislature, does it make sense to modify the program to encourage planting marginal CRP land with cellulose based energy crops like switchgrasses?
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