"It's an industry that's had some subsidies, it's true," Grant said. "The way I look at is that they've primed the pump -- we've got the industry started. In terms of reaching the goal, replacing 10% of gasoline with ethanol, we're only halfway there. So, I see this as a long-term play. I think frankly as the subsidies disappear, this will be a sustainable industry that will allow us to grow fuel within our own shores, which has got to be a good thing in the long run."

He refused to be drawn about how long he thought the industry should continue to be subsidized, however.

These are only my personal opinions.

Will it be sustainable when the demand for fuel increases?

Will it be sustainable in times of long term drought?  (To add to the USAT article, no mention was made about the potential for drought in much of the Midwest this year.  Much of Illinois only had 1 inch of rain in May.  We missed this last storm event.  Where they have the water and infrastructure, farmers are irrigating.)  

Will it be sustainable when the supply fluctuates widely from year to year due to unmanageable and unmitigated environmental variables?

We have built a lot of infrastructure on cheap oil.  If the infrastructure is not sustainable on oil then how will it be sustainable on biofuel alternatives?  In this sense, biofuels are increasing our dependence on unsustainable systems.  We need to rethink how we can reduce our dependence on all combustible liquid fuels instead of ratcheting up the technology on a fatal energy pathway.