Climate Crisis, Biosphere & Societal Collapse

They failed to show the math. Corn ethanol net energy ratio is about 1.3. For 386 equivalent gallons of gasoline per acre, the net yield is 90 gallons per year, with all inputs fossil fuels. 2.9mwh of heat energy per year, but as vehicle power under 800kwh.

For solar today, even with spacing, and just 4 sun hours/day average (many places in US are higher), 500+mwh of electricity per acre will be produced per year. Over 60x more. And if you needed a fuel instead of electricity, 30x better efficiency with hydrogen electrolysis fueling Fuel Cell vehicles than ICE ethanol.

Where the lobbying is extra stupid is that corn ethanol profit per acre is $170, but risky. Solar at scale in US has typically cost $1/watt installed with AC conversion equipment. That is 2c/kwh lifetime (34 years) without financing, or with full financing at 5%, an additional 4c/kwh. To make $170 from 500mwh, means selling/using electricity for just 0.033c/kwh higher than financing costs (which weren't included in corn scenario).

Further to Hydrogen, the price of ethanol is equivalent to $3/gallon gasoline (generally matches price of gasoline equivalent). $6/kg Hydrogen is power/cost equivalent. 10c/kwh electricity input is $6/kg cost. Solar is much cheaper when no permission/conversion to electric utilities are needed (cheaper still without tariffs), but one power of H2 electrolysis "behind the meter" is to have an alternative to wholesale electricity markets, diverting to H2 only when electricity price is not high enough. Boosting profits of both solar electricity sales and H2 sales, and making utilities friendlier to connecting to your electricity.