Ethanol is a renewable fuel that can be made from different types of plant materials, known as biomass. Biomass can include trees, grasses, different types of crops, algae, and other biological material.
Ethanol can potentially be made from any crop or plant that contains a large amount of sugar. It can also be made from parts of plants that can be easily converted into sugar, such as starch or cellulose. In the United States, ethanol is produced mostly from the starch in corn kernels.