Far from a Can of Corn: A Case for Reforming Ethanol Policy

Modern society is profoundly tied to the energy sources that power it. From the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels have supplied that energy, enabling a modern, mobile society now largely dependent on oil and gasoline. When the unsustainability of this reliance became apparent in the 1970s, the U.S. government began a series of programs which subsidized the ethanol production process in an effort to create an alternative to oil imports. This Note explores the history of governmental support for ethanol, as well as the achievements and limitations of those programs. Drawing upon the inherent limitations of the present programs, this Note will argue for a movement away from corn-based ethanol toward alternative energy programs which have greater potential to solve America’s oil addiction.