There are several reasons for current public and private interest and support for the production of ethanol in Hawaii. Also, the National Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires the purchase of alternatively-fueled vehicles by Federal, state, and other fleets.
Ethanol qualifies as an alternative fuel.
If the economics were favorable, producing ethanol might provide a basis for establishing alternative uses for agriculture lands that are coming out of production and may generate new sources of employment in the agriculture sector. It might be possible to use a significant amount of the material in municipal solid waste to produce ethanol, thereby reducing the flow of material to the landfill and providing a low cost source of feedstock for ethanol production. Ethanol production from local feedstocks may offer an opportunity to develop new businesses and provide some economic diversification in rural areas. There has been a continuing interest in ethanol production in the State of Hawaii since the turn of the century, specifically with regard to the production of ethanol from sugar cane molasses. The energy crises of the 1970s stimulated a resurgence of interest in ethanol production.