Science alone makes ethanol seem like an inefficient fuel. The conversion efficiency of sunlight-to-biomass-energy is a low percentage figure for sugarcane, compared to around 20% for sunlight-to-electricity through solar panels. And food security is sacrosanct. So, why go for ethanol?

The typical reason why a fuel is chosen is economics: People always want a cheaper alternative. But this isn’t always a sufficient driver. Energy security is another consideration. A third factor, especially in the case of ethanol in India, is what we can call human-fiscal equilibrium. Even if ethanol doesn’t save us money, it changes the recipient of this money — from foreign sellers of oil to India’s farmers.

These are the reasons why ethanol should remain on the table as a component of our energy portfolio. More so, when it is in the form of vehicles capable of running on ethanol alone — the E100 category, for which the Centre has just released rules — which is distinct from a goal of 100%, economy-wide replacement of petroleum by ethanol.

The conventional argument against ethanol is that it comes from sugarcane, but India must prioritise sugar for food rather than divert cane for ethanol production. That doesn’t always hold.

There are three........

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