BIOMASS converted to electricity could achieve 80 per cent more “miles per acre” than the same material converted to ethanol, a group of United States researchers announced last year.
As an example, the study by researchers from several US universities found that a small SUV powered by bioelectricity could travel nearly 14,000 highway miles on the net energy produced from an acre of switchgrass, while a comparable internal combustion vehicle could only travel about 9000 miles on the highway.
Average mileage for city and highway driving would be 15,000 miles for a bioelectric SUV and 8000 miles for an internal combustion vehicle.
In addition, the researchers calculated that carbon offsets are on average more than 100 per cent larger for the bioelectricity than for the ethanol pathway.
However, the researchers warned that transportation and offsets are only part of the equation: issues like water consumption, air pollution, and economic costs also need to be considered when reviewing future energy policy.
View the report at www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/324/5930/1055
