There is a huge debate simmering about how we can reduce our reliance on foreign oil.  The answer may be simpler than previously imagined.

In Wisconsin, we rely on corn based ethanol to blend our fuel and reduce emissions.  The problem is that corn based ethanol can also slightly reduce overall gas mileage.  But we stick with the corn based stuff because Wisconsin grows a lot of corn.  That, in and of itself, is a poor reason to continue to use corn based ethanol.

But what works in other countries?  Brazil runs their automobiles almost exclusively on ethanol but their ethanol is derived from sugar cane which is bountiful there but not exactly a crop not exactly compatible with the Wisconsin climate.

Switchgrass is another story.  It can be grown abundantly in Wisconsin, gets to over 10 feet tall and is a native perenial to Wisconsin.  The USDA estimates that an acre of switchgrass could net us up to 400 gallons of ethanol per year.  What can't be converted into ethanol could be bundled and shipped off to energy plants where it could be burned in lieu of coal and what is left of the switchgrass could be burned to make electricity.

The interesting thing about switchgrass is that it's not just the left who is looking at it.  George W. Bush mentioned it in his 2006 State of the Union address and Republicans who are concerned about reducing the reliance on foreign oil have been jumping on the switchgrass bandwagon.

Still others hold out hope for hydrogen fuel cells such as the ones currently being researched by Modine Manufacturing in Racine.  Unfortunately, it looks like we're 10 years out before a major break will be seen on that front.