Sweet Sorghum as Feedstock in Great Plains Corn Ethanol Plants: The Role of Biofuel Policy

Authors

Richard Perrin, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Lilyan E. Fulginiti, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Subir Bairagi, IRRIFollow
Ismail Dweikat, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

ORCID IDs

Subir Bairagi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4473-2249

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2018

Citation

Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 43(1):34–45

Comments

Copyright 2018 Western Agricultural Economics Association. Used by permission.

Abstract

This research examines whether sweet sorghum, a crop considered more drought-tolerant and suitable for semi-arid areas than corn, could result in an economically viable sweet sorghum ethanol pathway in the Great Plains. We find that that if the D5–D6 RIN price spread exceeds the $0.35/gal recently experienced, the benefits of the pathway would be equivalent to about $90/acre of sweet sorghum, or $0.38/gal of ethanol. Because of sparse cultivation potential, only four the six existing plants in the Nebraska–Colorado High Plains area might expect transportation costs to be low enough for economic feasibility.