I think alcohol is a great alternative when it is NOT produced from food stocks. But when you factor in the emissions concerns created by the agriculture needed to grow those food stocks, it's not as clean as some believe. And yes, I believe you need half again as much alcohol compared to gasoline to produce the same amount of energy?
Thing of it is, no. 2 corn is animal feed and it becomes high protein animal feed once it goes through the distillation process. Many plants are now even extracting the corn oil out in the process. So the only component used to make the ethanol is the starch. That part we farmers get accused of making everyone in the nation fat because of all the high fructose corn syrup going into foods.
So don't look at it like the corn is taking food out of anyone's mouth (we are now actually producing all the corn needed for other uses AND all the ethanol industry needs so there is no shortage), you could look at it like we are keeping people from getting fat. We get blamed for doing something wrong one way or the other so it doesn't really matter.
The best thing though (besides cleaner air), is not a single American soldier has been lost fighting over a corn field. I don't think the same could be said for the other major component in gasoline.
Facts about ethanol "Some OEMs have even used E85 to increase horsepower. Swedish carmaker, Koenigsegg, equipped its CCXR model with a 4.7-liter twin supercharged engine that can run on either E85 or E100. On normal gasoline, the CCXR produces 806 bhp. On E85, this is boosted to an amazing 1,018 bhp,"
