Accounting for the water impacts of ethanol production
Open accessAbstract
Biofuels account for 1–2% of global transportation fuel and their share is projected to continue rising, with potentially serious consequences for water resources. However, current literature does not present sufficient spatial resolution to characterize this localized effect. We used a coupled agro-climatic and life cycle assessment model to estimate the water resource impacts of bioenergy expansion scenarios at a county-level resolution. The study focused on the case of California, with its range of agroecological conditions, water scarcity, and aggressive alternative fuel incentive policies. Life cycle water consumption for ethanol production in California is up to 1000 times that of gasoline due to a cultivation phase that consumes over 99% of life cycle water use for agricultural biofuels. This consumption varies by up to 60% among different feedstocks and by over 350% across regions in California. Rigorous policy analysis requires spatially resolved modeling of water resource impacts and careful consideration of the various metrics that might act to constrain technology and policy options.
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The production of biofuel crops can lead to competition for natural resources, particularly land, food, and water.
“Although biofuels are renewably sourced, the production of biofuel crops can lead to competition for natural resources, particularly land, food, and water [61,62].”
From Investigation of Biofuel as a Potential Renewable Energy Source (2021) · cites this paper as [62]
Large-scale bioenergy production and associated additional demand for irrigation may further intensify existing pressures on water resources.
“Large-scale bioenergy production and associated additional demand for irrigation may further intensify existing pressures on water resources [21].”
From The effect of bioenergy expansion: food, energy, and environment (2014) · cites this paper as [21]
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- Authors
- Fingerman, K. R., Torn, M. S., O’Hare, M. H., & Kammen, D. M.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kammen, Daniel M
- Venue
- Environmental Research Letters
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Published
- 2010-01
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 014020
- ISSN
- 1748-9326 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2162937654
- Cited by
- 115
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 9.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Environmental Research Letters (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- California Air Resources Board
- California Energy Commission
- Energy Biosciences Institute
- European Commission
- University of California, Davis
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Keywords
- ethanol production, biofuels, water consumption, life cycle assessment, water scarcity, feedstock, California, biofuel policy, agricultural water use
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