  by David Lorenz and David Morris  August 1995  ©1995 Institute
for Local-Self Reliance (ILSR) Reproduction permitted with
attribution to ILSR  One of the most controversial issues
relating to ethanol is the question of what environmentalists
call the "net energy" of ethanol production. Simply put, is more
energy used to grow and process the raw material into ethanol
than is contained in the ethanol itself?  In 1992, ILSR
addressed this question. Our report, based on actual energy
consumption data from farmers and ethanol plant operators, was
widely disseminated and its methodology has been imitated by a
number of other researchers. This paper updates the data in that
original report and addresses some of the concerns that some
reviewers of the original report expressed.  Our analysis again
concludes that the production of ethanol from corn is a positive
net energy generator. Indeed, the numbers look even more
attractive now than they did in 1992. More energy is contained
in the ethanol and the other by-prod