"Mr. Butterfield thinks that the MicroFueler is as much a game changer as the personal computer. He says that working with Mr. Quinn’s microelectronics experts — E-Fuel now employs 15 people — has led to breakthroughs that have cut the energy requirements of making ethanol in half. One such advance is a membrane distiller, which, Mr. Quinn says, uses extremely fine filters to separate water from alcohol at lower heat and in fewer steps than in conventional ethanol refining. Using sugar as a feedstock means that there is virtually no smell, and its water byproduct will be drinkable."

"E-Fuel has bold plans: It intends to operate internationally from the start, with production of the MicroFueler in China and Britain as well as the United States. And Mr. Butterfield is already at work on a version for commercial use, as well as systems that will use feedstocks other than sugar."

It'd be interesting if I could grow wheat instead of a lawn to power this, but i have a feeling it takes a bit more feedstock than that.

Food for fuel scares me.

Food for fuel scares me.

I agree, ericskiff. I like the idea clipped several months ago about the man who was burning recycled french fry oil. No one is going to want to eat that. It's fast food waste that can be recycled into something else that's useful.