This revised version replaces a previous one titled: "Optimal Ethanol Policies for the U.S. in a General Equilibrium Framework"

We present results from an application of the Biofuel Breakeven program (BioBreak) to 14 US cellulosic ethanol markets that vary by feedstock and location.  BioBreak estimates the economic costs of cellulosic biofuel production for each market and identifies the necessary conditions to sustain...

This paper presents an overview of recent U.S. fiscal developments and discusses possible implications of the sharp turn around in the government’s fiscal position. Against this back ground, it also reviews key policy challenges that will need to be addressed to cope with the mounting...

Germany imposes an energy tax of 0.65€/l on gasoline which is one of the highest tax rates across countries. The effective tax is even higher when accounting for the consumption tax levied on top of the energy tax. Answers to the question whether such a high tax level is justified on...

This paper provides an overview of the economics of biofuels. It starts by describing the remarkable growth of the biofuel industry over the last decade, with emphasis on developments in the United States, Brazil and the European Union, and it identifies the driving role played by some critical...

We develop an analytic and numerical model that integrates land, food and fuel markets and is linked with a sectoral emissions model to examine how the amount of biofuel in the economy impacts the lifecycle emissions of a biofuel under different policies. Our central finding is that the change...

The quest for biorenewable energy sources is held to justify a number of government interventions, including support policies for biofuels such as those responsible for the recent rapid growth of US ethanol production. This article provides an analytical assessment of such policies. We construct...

This paper provides an overview of the economics of biofuels. It starts by describing the remarkable growth of the biofuel industry over the last decade, with emphasis on developments in the United States, Brazil and the European Union, and it identifies the driving role played by some critical...

During the past half century, per-acre maize yields have increased due to improved cultivars, better management, and favorable weather.  Recent US biofuel legislation, e.g., revised Renewable Fuel Standard, has increased the demand for bio-fuel and added competition for available cropland. ...

Recent contributions have questioned whether biofuels policies actually lead to emissions reductions, and thus lower climate costs. In this paper we make two contributions to the literature. First, we study the market effects of a renewable fuel standard. Opposed to most previous studies we...