ABSTRACT
With increased tensions among political powers in countries controlling fossil fuel supplies, the debate about the reliability of these sources to meet future global demand continues to escalate. Taking into consideration the ever-present implications related to global warming, the world’s energy paradigm is becoming increasingly heterogenic. Included in the mixture of energy sources to be utilized are renewable sources such as plant residues. Crop and non-crop plant residues have been repeatedly identified as plentiful renewable resources for cellulosic biofuel production (Perlack et al., 2005) and have been targeted as significant contributors to the future energy portfolios of the United States and other countries (Wiesenthal et al., 2006).
