Expanding the use of biofuels such as ethanol made from corn, cellulosic material, or crop wastes reduces the need for gasoline and diesel made exclusively from petroleum. The Energy Bill would mandate a renewable fuel requirement that reaches 36 billion gallons in 2022, including for the first time requirements for cellulosic biofuels and biodiesel. Currently, most of our renewable fuel is ethanol derived from corn. However, most of the future requirement would have to be met with advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol.

Cellulosic ethanol is part of the next generation of biofuels and can be made from a wide variety of non-food plant materials, including agricultural wastes such as corn stover and cereal straws, industrial waste like saw dust and paper pulp, as well as dedicated energy crops grown specifically for fuel production like switchgrass. The fuel can be produced in nearly every region of the country because a variety of regional feedstocks can be utilized. Though it requires a more complex production process that is still being developed, cellulosic ethanol can result in a 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to traditional gasoline.