• Some grasses typically found in prairies may provide upward of 30 percent of biofuels.blue prairie grass image by Annika from Fotolia.com
  
  In the search for alternatives to fossil fuels, researchers have focused on different forms of ethanol as a viable option. Yet, the use of corn-based ethanol has driven up the cost of the crop. Scientists have seen the cellulosic ethanol produced from switchgrass, elephant grass, and canary reed grass as a viable option for a plant-based fuel. Through the process of cellulolysis, enzymes break down a plant's cellulose into sugar for fermentation and then distillation.
  
  

Switchgrass

• A perennial plant, switchgrass is a yellowish, stiff prairie grass that can reach almost 10 feet in height and takes minimal care to grow. Scientists estimate the grass produces more than a 500 percent return on the energy it takes to produce it and turn the grass into ethanol. Put otherwise, it's possible to produce more than 300 gallons of ethanol per acre, comparable to an acre devoted to corn-based ethanol.
  
  Government and research agencies are testing switchgrass production by growing the grass on highly erodible lands, not only serving to advance green technologies but also in an attempt to preserve areas prone to erosion.
  
  

Reed Canary Grass

• A native grass to North America, Europe and Asia, reed canary grass is also a perennial that can be grown in poor soil, helping to recover landscapes. The amount of ethanol that can be produced per acre of reed canary grass that is grown is less than that of other biofuel oriented grasses. The advantage of this grass is that it can grow in much cooler temperatures for a greater yield throughout the year.
  
  

Elephant Grass

• Miscanthus, or elephant grass, is another gigantic grass than can grow to 10 feet tall. Elephant grass can produce twice the amount of ethanol of corn or switchgrass and can be grown in less space per acre. This grass can be primarily used to fuel power stations to replace traditional sources of energy, such as coal, to be burned in industrial boilers. Although it's a low-maintenance crop, an unattractive feature of the grass is that it takes several years to grow a viable crop for production.