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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Agricultural Sector Impacts of Making Ethanol from Grain

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5497445· OSTI ID:5497445
This report presents the results of a model of the effects on the agricultural sector of producing ethanol from corn in the United States between 1979 and 1983. The model is aggregated at the national level, and results are given for all of the major food and feed crops, ethanol joint products, farm income, government payment, and agricultural exports. A stochastic simulation was performed to ascertain the impacts of yield and demand variations on aggregate performance figures. Results indicate minimal impacts on the agricultural sector for production levels of less than 1 billion gallons of ethanol per year. For higher production levels, corn prices will rise sharply, the agricultural sector will be more vulnerable to variations in yields and demands, and joint-product values will fall. Possibilities for ameliorating such effects are discussed, and such concepts as net energy and the biomass refinery are explored.
Research Organization:
Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308;
OSTI ID:
5497445
Report Number(s):
SERI/TR-352-554
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English