New Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Opens

A small step in the right direction...cellulosic ethanol is on its way!

A biorefinery built to produce 1.4 million gallons of ethanol a year from cellulosic biomass will open tomorrow in Jennings, LA. The plant will make ethanol from agricultural waste left over from processing sugarcane.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/20828/?a=f

Unfortunately this part makes me pause a bit:

The five-carbon sugars in hemicellulose are then fermented using
genetically modified E. coli. The cellulose is broken down with enzymes and
fermented with another type of bacteria called Klebsiella oxytoca.

Let's hope that stuff doesn't get loose. I realize there will need to be breakthroughs in enzyme technology, but I can't help but have visions of Outbreak, 28 Days Later or I Am Legend. Yikes.