U.S. Biofuels Policy: Progress and Challenges
August 20, 2008

The closed-to-media, industry workshop will include presentations by Rice scientists who have been studying the environmental impacts of ethanol including new work on ethanol's groundwater footprint. Other topics to be discussed at the workshop include other environmental impacts of the current US biofuels policy, Baker Institute analysis of the export potential of South America and the Caribbean , as well as external opinion of experts like yourself on the kinds of logistical, transportation, market, and other problems might emerge in the scale up of production and consumption of ethanol in the US gasoline market. The aim of the workshop is to get comments and feedback and enhance the Houston industry's knowledge, with an eye to preparing a comprehensive policy report from our institute this autumn.

Event co-sponsored by Chevron Technology Ventures

Agenda

Presentations

Soil and Water Quality Implications Associated with Corn Stover Removal and Herbaceous Energy Crop Production in Iowa Susan Powers, Clarkson University

Demonstration and Driveability Project to Determine the Feasibility of Using E20 as a Motor Fuel Darrick Zarling, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota

Food and Gas: Is there a Sustainable Solution? Alexander Zehnder, Alberta, Water Research Institute

Coleman Jones Coming Soon!

The Impact of Biofuels on Western Hemisphere Energy Security Ron Soligo, Professor of Economics, Rice University

Ethanol in Fuel: Implications for Groundwater Pollution Pedro Alvarez

Water and Land Requirements to Grow Biofuel Crops in the USA Rosa Dominguez-Faus, Graduate Student Researcher, Baker Institute

Beyond E10- U.S. Biofuel Policy: Progress and Challenges Larry Kumins, VP Research & Analysis, Energy Policy Research Foundation, Inc.