Cellulosic Biofuels

This July 2008 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the status of cellulosic biofuel production in the United States, highlighting the number of biorefineries in development, the technologies and feedstocks used, and the federal and state investments supporting the industry.

• As of July 2008, there are 55 cellulosic biorefineries that are either complete, under construction, or in the planning stage across 31 U.S. states. These facilities have an expected nameplate capacity of 629.5 million gallons per year (MGY), with the potential to expand to 995 MGY. Most demonstration and commercial scale facilities are expected to begin operations in 2009 or 2010.
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) categorizes biorefineries by scale: commercial scale facilities use at least 700 tons of feedstock daily to produce 10-20 MGY of biofuel, while small scale (demonstration) facilities use approximately 70 tons of feedstock daily to yield at least 1 MGY. Pilot scale facilities are smaller and focus on developing new technologies.
• Cellulosic biorefineries utilize a diverse range of feedstocks, categorized into agricultural residues (such as corn cobs, stover, and various straws), energy crops (including Miscanthus, switchgrass, and specially-bred energy cane), waste products (such as municipal solid waste and urban wood waste), and woody biomass (including logging and mill residue).
• Significant federal funding has been provided by the DOE, including $385 million in grants awarded in February 2007 to six companies and $240 million in grants awarded between January and July 2008 for small scale projects. Additionally, the DOE awarded $375 million in June 2007 to three bioenergy research centers located in Berkeley, CA, Madison, WI, and Oak Ridge, TN.

APA

Mattingly, J., Robb, F., & Wong, J. (2008). Cellulosic Biofuels. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_cellethanol_factsheet_072308.pdf

Chicago

Mattingly, Justin, Fahran Robb, and Jetta Wong. Cellulosic Biofuels. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2008. https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_cellethanol_factsheet_072308.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mattingly |first1=Justin |last2=Robb |first2=Fahran |last3=Wong |first3=Jetta |title=Cellulosic Biofuels |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=July 2008 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_cellethanol_factsheet_072308.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mattingly2008cellulosic, author = {Mattingly, Justin and Robb, Fahran and Wong, Jetta}, title = {{Cellulosic Biofuels}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_cellethanol_factsheet_072308.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }