The sun, rich mid-America farmland, water and a little patience. These simple, wholesome ingredients combine to form what has been dubbed an energy savior: ethanol. Ethanol seems almost a miraculous solution to our energy problems. But is it? Can ethanol replace gasoline as the transportation fuel of choice in the U.S.? Or is it more of a contributory element in reducing dependence on oil? And what impact does growing corn for fuel have on the global food supply? The only thing growing faster than ethanol production are the predictions for future ethanol production and usage. In this report we provide background information on ethanol--what it is, its history, supply and demand and its economics--and examine the prospects for ethanol going forward.