ABSTRACT
In 2003, about 2.81 billion gallons of ethanol were produced in the U.S., with approximately 95% derived from fermentation of cornstarch. With increased attention to clean air and oxygenates for fuels, opportunities exist for rapid expansion of the fuel ethanol industry. Various lignocellulosic biomass such as agricultural residues, wood, municipal solid wastes, and wastes from pulp and paper industry can serve as low-cost and abundant feedstocks for production of fuel ethanol or value-added chemicals. It is estimated that approximately 50 billion gallons of ethanol could be produced from current biomass wastes with the potential to produce up to 350 billion gallons from dedicated energy farms in the U.S.1
