Switchgrass yields five times more energy than it takes to grow it and burning it in vehicles 94% less carbon dioxide than gasoline. What’s more, it grows in marginal areas and needs far less fertilizer than corn.
Right now, the price is about double than of corn ethanol but technological advances funded by venture capitalists are expected to drop the price. Let’s hope so. Then corn can be used solely for food again.
There are so many promising new ideas for creating clean energy that keeping up with them all is difficult. This is a good thing! I predict an explosion of such ideas in the coming few years, some of which will surely go mainstream, and become disruptive technologies as they create new industries.