Mark Udall says we can grow our way out of the energy crisis. But can ethanol really deliver?

More on that in a moment on the Face The State Radio Minute.

At a recent press conference in Arvada, Democrat congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall laid out his plan to combat high gas prices. But the cornerstone of his proposal – growing more corn for ethanol – may do more harm than good.

Increased demand for ethanol to fuel cars has driven up the cost of corn, which in turn makes all kinds of foodstuffs more expensive worldwide. At $7 a bushel, corn tortillas are becoming prohibitively expensive in Latin America, for instance. By diverting food crops to fuel, we may be doing more harm than good.

Ethanol produces 20 to 30 percent less energy per gallon than regular gasoline. Is it responsible policy for us to drive up the cost of food, in the name of fuel that packs less punch?

For FaceTheState.com, I’m Brad Jones.