In our energy conscious, and foreign oil import-fearing country, ethanol has enjoyed its share of success.

Bolstered by generous federal subsidies and legislative support, the ethanol industry grew into what it is today: More than a dozen existing ethanol plants with more planned and a billion dollar impact on the state.

Ethanol is big business; and, unless something drastic happens, that's not going to change. But the future look of ethanol will change; that's a given.

Corn's role in the additives production has come under fire for being too costly to the food supply and also adding to feed costs for area producers.

Nationwide the debate has shifted from energy independence to "food versus fuel" and, watching gas prices rise right along with those at the grocery store, it's a nearly impossible debate for the ethanol industry to win.

The corn model for producing ethanol has become so successful it has become a victim of its own success. While low corn prices mean profits for the South Dakota ethanol industry, increasing demand for corn drives prices higher and ethanol profits lower. And federal mandates for ethanol-blended gasoline will continue to drive demand, which means the need to produce ethanol won't decrease.

Cellulosic ethanol will be the next frontier for ethanol. The Energy Security and Independence Act of 2007 calls for 21 billions gallons of cellulosic ethanol by produced by 2022. Cellulosic ethanol is produced from such things as wood, switchgrass and possibly municipal waste.

But the technology to produce cellulosic ethanol is in its infancy. The 21 billion gallon federal requirement is more than aggressive - it's unrealistic - primarily serving as a notice to investors and developers that the market will be there when the product is.

Already, the process has begun to bring cellulosic ethanol to the market.

On Monday, Sen. John Thune will be in Rapid City representing a subcommittee of the Senate Agricultural Committee during an energy related field hearing. The meeting will focus on the possible use of forest products (including the "waste" in the Black Hills) for the production of cellulosic ethanol.

And will cellulosic ethanol be viable? Today it isn't, but that will change as the demand not only for federally-mandated blended gasoline increases but the public's preference to move away from the "food versus fuel" argument steeped against corn ethanol today.

There's clearly a future for ethanol. What that future will look like remains to be seen.