By Tony Waggoner
Staff Writer
As printed in The Enid News & Eagle, April 2, 2008.

In the movie "Dan In Real Life," actor Steve Carell plays a widower with three children. On a road trip to visit his family, there is a scene in which Carell's character is filling up at the gas station. As he fills his car, he makes a remark about each child's college education, stating with each passing gallon – and as the price rises to around $35 to $40 – it takes the money for their college education away with it.

The price of gasoline has become part of our lives. Whereas 15 years ago it would cost $10 to $15 to fill up our gasoline tanks, we now have to budget ourselves for gasoline the same way we budget for our mortgage or rent, and sacrifices have to be made.

There is hope, though, with advances in ethanol-based biofuels. Tuesday night, Plains Partners and Kingfisher County Extension Center hosted a biofuels forum at Kingfisher County Fairgrounds with farmers, representatives from many of the state's energy organizations and lawmakers to discuss the future of how we may travel and the crops that may get us there.

"We have a challenge before us today on transportation fuel costs," said Terry Detrick, of American Farmers & Ranchers and Plains Oilseed Products Co-op. "Maybe someday we can get to the point to where we can cherry pick who we buy our oil from, though."

State Rep. James Covey, D-Custer City; Michael Marlowe, of Monsanto Co.; Clay Pope, of Oklahoma Conservation Organization; Yates Adcock, of Adcock Ranch; and Steve Rhines, of Noble Foundation, were on-hand to speak to an audience of about 500.

Crops for fuel
Corn, switchgrass, sweet sorghum, wheat straw, oilseed, vegetables, milo and barley can be used to produce ethanol. Farmers who grow these crops one day may be providing us with the food we eat as well as the fuel we need.

Detrick said the key is encouraging further research to help determine which biofuels are appropriate to each area. There are different opportunities in different areas of the country. Detrick said it comes down to what is appropriate to each territory.

One issue is determining which crops will be able to grow in specific areas of the state and withstand drought and heat conditions. Determining which crops can handle these situations is something that can be done through mapping the genome, Marlowe said, and testing the DNA of a crop to see if it can withstand the geographic conditions.

"Mapping the genome and molecular breeding is using those DNA maps to determine whether a crop is going to be what you want or not before you even grow it out in the field," Marlowe said. "We can screen far more genetic material to find something that is going to fit Oklahoma or better fit North Dakota. Technology has helped us get there. Improved genetics has opened the door to new rotational crops in Oklahoma."

In December 2007, President Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act. The new law calls for 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022, which would be 25 percent of our current gasoline consumption. Of the 36 billion gallons, the law mandates production of more than 20 million gallons of advanced biofuels, with 16 billion gallons from cellulosic ethanol.

Marlowe said biofuels plants will be a major key. Biofuels plants for barley, switchgrass, corn and sorghum may someday be found in Oklahoma, he said.

A bigger variety of crops can be produced since there is a market now for each of them.

"We can talk about developing oilseeds and starch crops, but one of the things we have to have is support from the Legis-lature and business to create a market for it," Marlowe said.

Right now, corn is the biggest producer of cellulose ethanol. Marlowe said a big reason is researchers have found ways for genetic mapping and sequences of corn that have determined the conditions for better corn production.

Myths of the industry
Detrick debunked several myths about ethanol.

"You can make starched-based ethanol on something besides corn," he said.

Grain used for ethanol is not all used up with ethanol. The only thing taken out of the grain for starch-based ethanol is the starch, Detrick said.

Detrick said ethanol is not an energy deficit fuel, which means it uses more energy to produce the ethanol than the crop produces. He said the study used by ethanol detractors to support that claim is 30 years old.

"People have taken that hook, line and sinker, and it is a lie," he said. "Just from 2000 to 2005, we were able to get 15 percent more ethanol from a plant with 20 percent less energy going in."

Rhines said at the end of the day it will all come down to economics. An ethanol-based plant in Oklahoma would help reduce the United States' dependence on foreign oil by 1.2 billion barrels each year. Currently, imported oil accounts for about 62 percent of the oil used in this country. The U.S. dependency on foreign oil is costing about $1.5 billion a day, he said. Rhines said economic changes will come with the determination of how much can be made on each crop producing ethanol.

A problem Detrick sees is the current perception of ethanol-based fuels. He said people should not look at biofuels as a threat but as an addition or an assistance fuel.

"We don't like to refer to it as alternative energy," Detrick said. "This is an oil and gas state, and it is a companion fuel. Ethanol is good for consumers, the environment and the country, and it is a sensible and practical fuel."

This article appeared in The Enid News & Eagle, www.enidnews.com, on April 2, 2008.