The long-term solution to meeting energy needs will require a combination of new technology, efficiency, and conservation, as well as policy to encourage and nurture new approaches to meet future energy demands. Because it is expected to take years of research and development to create significant new technologies, and because we already are experiencing the impacts of our reliance on fossil fuels, it is imperative that we begin now to diversify our transportation fuel sources. Increased use of biorenewable resources is a step in that direction. Ethanol from corn grain (starch) is the first step and leads the way in using biorenewable resources. However, the large-scale production of biofuel will require a greater supply of feedstock than offered by corn grain. Ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks can contribute to U.S. energy independence; but the production, harvest, and processing practices for cellulosic feedstock must be sustainable. A number of important issues must be resolved before a cellulose-based fuel system can be implemented. The objective of this presentation is to briefly discuss cellulose-to-ethanol conversion processes, current and future cellulosic feedstocks, likely locales of production, constraints for production and harvest, and research and policy advances needed to support development of this industry.