Converting land to cropland can cause other problems besides carbon emissions, Hill said, including disruption of wildlife habitats. Other cellulosic sources may be more promising, such as waste wood and agriculture products, but even these can't be used exhaustively because crop residues, such as corn leaves and stalks, help prevent erosion when left on the land.

However, new technologies could prevent many of these concerns, said Anna Rath, a vice president at Ceres. This energy crop company will provide seeds that have been genetically modified for desirable traits to local farmers who will grow them as feedstock for the ICM test plant in Missouri.

"Biotechnology will enable us to increase yields substantially, both in tons per acre and gallons per ton," Rath said. "This means we'll need fewer acres to produce the same amounts of fuel."

Some modified varieties have increased storage capacity for carbon in their root systems and others allow for no-till farming, both of which decrease the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, Rath said.

That may not be enough to satisfy those worried about land-use change, though, as Ceres Chief Executive Richard Hamilton "expects energy crop acreage across the U.S. to increase rapidly as best practices are duplicated in other areas," according to a news release.

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