ABSTRACT
The increase of fossil fuel (crude oil) prices, depletion of natural resources, public awareness regarding energy security, as well as environmental pressures have led modern industries to embrace renewable energy sources (Tay et al. 2011). As a renewable energy source, biomass has an incredible potential to fulll our future energy and chemical demands, as the biofuels and biochemicals derived from it are considered to have inherently lower carbon footprints than those derived from fossil sources (Sammons et al. 2008). For instance, the life cycle assessment shows that the potentials to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) by corn ethanol and cellulosic ethanol are 52% and 86% over their gasoline counterpart, respectively (Bioenergy Knowledge Discovery Framework 2012). Additionally, the nation’s reliance on foreign sources of oil has left the United States vulnerable to a shortage of petroleum-based fuel and products due to natural disasters, political disruptions, and price volatility. Therefore, complementing the nation’s energy supply with renewable, sustainable, and domestically produced sources of energy, such as bioenergy, can help ensure our future energy security.
