Energy analysis contributed to the public debate on the gasohol programme in the U.S., where this analysis became a legal requirement. The published energy analyses for gasohol are reviewed and we assess their inherent assumptions and data sources. The analyses are normalised to S.I. units to facilitate comparisons. The process of rationalising the various treatments uncovered areas of uncertainties, particularly in the methodologies which could be used to analyse some parts of the process. Although the definitive study has still to be written, the consensus is that maize to fuel ethanol via the traditional fermentation route is a net consumer of energy.
