Biofuels in Perspective

3
Bio-Ethanol Development
in the USA
Brent Erickson
Executive Vice President, Industrial and Environmental Section, Biotechnology
Industry Organization, Washington, USA
Matthew T. Carr*
Policy Director, Industrial and Environmental Section, Biotechnology Industry
Organization, Washington, USA
3.1 Introduction
From the First Continental Congress, which met over fine spirits at Philadelphia’s City
Tavern in 1774, the history of the United States of America is intersected by ethanol. But
not until the early 20th century, when the US Congress removed a $2 per gallon ethanol tax
first established to fund the Civil War, did bio-ethanol began to develop as a commercially
viable liquid transportation fuel.
One of bio-ethanol’s first US champions was Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford.
He designed the first Model T automobile to run on 100 % ethanol. ‘The fuel of the future is
going to come from fruit like that sumac out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust –
almost anything. There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented,’ Ford
told the New York Times in 1925. 1
∗ The authors wish to thank Joanne Hawana for her assistance in researching this chapter.
Biofuels. Edited by Wim Soetaert, Erick J. Vandamme.
© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-02674-8