Bob McCarty Writes

In post published Jan. 11, I concluded that “I know it when I see it!” and what I see is this: “Corn ethanol is Cornography!” In short, I ranted about the push toward corn-based ethanol — which I dubbed “Cornography” — as being offensive to the senses and to the economy. Thankfully, only two weeks passed before I discovered Coskata Energy, a company in Illinois that developed a process that holds the potential to render the cornography issue moot.

The company is described on its web site as “a biology-based renewable energy company” whose “technology enables the low-cost production of ethanol from a wide variety of input material including biomass, municipal solid waste and other carbonaceous material.” As for the process, it involves “Using proprietary microorganisms and patented bioreactor designs” to “produce ethanol for under US$1.00 per gallon.”

Therein lies the rub: Under US$1.00 per gallon!

Rather than rely upon corn, corn and more corn, Coskata makes fuel from sources like municipal solid waste (trash), agricultural and forest residuals, bagasse and many other carbon containing input materials. By opting to use the Coskata process, we can return normalcy to the marketplace for corn and corn-related products. To learn more about the company’s process and/or view a flash presentation about the same, click here.

Hat tip to Dane Carlson!