In order to more fully study the risks and uncertainty involved in cellulosic ethanol production, we examine a simulated plant in South Louisiana using Real Options Analysis

To reach the US 2022 mandate of 136.3 billion litres of annual biofuel production, multiple sources must be integrated into the renewable biofuels supply chain. Energy cane appears well suited to help meet this mandate, particularly in Louisiana. Although not traditionally grown, production...

This paper examines the possibilities of breaking into the cellulosic ethanol market in south Louisiana via strategic feedstock choices and the leveraging of the area’s competitive advantages. A small plant strategy is devised whereby the first-mover problem might be solved, and several...

This paper examines the introduction of energy cane and switchgrass in the available crops for production in the Louisiana Sugarcane Belt. Employing an optimal crop mix model net returns over variable costs for each county is maximized. Furthermore, this paper determines the optimal processing...

This paper examines the possibility of collocating a cellulosic ethanol processing plant with certain Louisiana sugar mills, chosen based on their strategic locations and cane grinding capacity. The prospective plants are compared based on transportation costs and overall economic performance.

This case study uses current dynamics in the U.S. beef cattle industry to illustrate the use of financial analysis tools such as net present value in making investment decisions. Two problems face the livestock producer in this case study: 1) should the producer purchase replacement females or...