--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now it will take a long time to scale…" description: "\"Now it will take a long time to scale biofuels, but I'm the only one in the world forecasting oil dropping in price to $35 a barrel by 2030. I'll put i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cae/vinod-khosla-5401_able_now-it-will-take-a-long-time-to-scale-bi_2114931.png" --- # Now it will take a long time to scale biofuels, but I'm… ![“Now it will take a long time to scale biofuels, but I'm the only one in the world forecasting oil dropping in price to $35 a barrel by 2030. I'll put it on the record: Oil will not be able to compete with cellulosic biofuels. If you do it from food, the food will get so expensive you can't make…” quote by Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cae/vinod-khosla-5401_able_now-it-will-take-a-long-time-to-scale-bi_2114931.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cae/vinod-khosla-5401_able_now-it-will-take-a-long-time-to-scale-bi_2114931.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cae/vinod-khosla-5401_able_now-it-will-take-a-long-time-to-scale-bi_2114931.png) > “Now it will take a long time to scale biofuels, but I'm the only one in the world forecasting oil dropping in price to $35 a barrel by 2030. I'll put it on the record: Oil will not be able to compete with cellulosic biofuels. If you do it from food, the food will get so expensive you can't make fuel out of it.” [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Predicts oil prices will fall, making biofuels competitive, especially cellulosic, while food‑based biofuels will be too costly. **In simple terms:** Oil cheap, cellulosic biofuels win, food biofuels too pricey. Key Takeaway Invest in cellulosic biofuel research now. Themes energy economics technology food security environment Mood optimistic analytical cautious Type policyophical forecasting strategic When to use this quote - policy planning - investment decisions - fuel production - food pricing - energy transition Key Concepts price dynamics renewable energy resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - How will policy affect biofuel adoption? - What are the risks of relying on cellulosic feedstocks? A Different Perspective Assumes rapid tech breakthroughs and policy support, which may lag. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Barrel 2030](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barrel-2030-4286900/) [Barrels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barrels/) [Biofuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biofuels/) [Biofuels World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biofuels-world-4286898/) [Cellulosic Biofuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cellulosic-biofuels-4286897/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Dropping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dropping/) [Expensive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expensive/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Forecasting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forecasting/) [Forecasting Oil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forecasting-oil-4286899/) [Fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fuel/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Oil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oil/) [Records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/records/) [Scale Biofuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scale-biofuels-4286896/) [Scales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scales/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The world is hung up on food-based biofuels. Not only are they the wrong thing, they're the uneconomic thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/the-world-is-hung-up-on-food-based-biofuels-not-only-are-they-the/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Certain food-based biofuels like biodiesel have always been a bad idea. Others like corn ethanol have served a useful purpose and essentially are obsoleting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/certain-food-based-biofuels-like-biodiesel-have-always-been-a-bad/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I believe cellulosic fuels, biofuels made from nonfood crops are the only solution that will make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-believe-cellulosic-fuels-biofuels-made-from-nonfood-crops-are-the/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-strongly-agree-with-vice-president-gore-that-we-cannot-drill-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As President, I'll invest in renewable energies like wind power, solar power, and the next generation of homegrown biofuels. That's how America is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-president-i-ll-invest-in-renewable-energies-like-wind-power-solar/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We've got to control our own energy. Now, not only oil and natural gas, which we've been investing in; but also, we've got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-ve-got-to-control-our-own-energy-now-not-only-oil-and-natural-gas/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The co-opting of the environmental movement by the petroleum industry had a shattering effect. It crushed nascent biofuel businesses, killed research, cut off critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-tickell/the-co-opting-of-the-environmental-movement-by-the-petroleum-industry/) [Josh Tickell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-tickell/) > [We're gonna be using American produced, American energy that will create jobs in the United States, will create a far more secure source of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mabus/we-re-gonna-be-using-american-produced-american-energy-that-will/) [Ray Mabus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mabus/) > [The first victims of poseur environmentalism will always be developing countries. In order for you to put biofuel in your Prius and feel good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/the-first-victims-of-poseur-environmentalism-will-always-be/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [As both a former governor and a Naval officer I can tell you energy security remains among biofuels' most important benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-blunt/as-both-a-former-governor-and-a-naval-officer-i-can-tell-you-energy/) [Matt Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-blunt/) > [If you're using first-class land for biofuels, then you're competing with the growing of food. And so you're actually spiking food prices by moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-using-first-class-land-for-biofuels-then-you-re-competing/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Note even Jonathan Swift would dare to write a satire in which politicians argued that - in a world where species are vanishing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/note-even-jonathan-swift-would-dare-to-write-a-satire-in-which/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [It's obviously tricky to convert cellulose to a useful biofuel. I think actually the most efficient way to use cellulose is to burn it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/it-s-obviously-tricky-to-convert-cellulose-to-a-useful-biofuel-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [We’re making new investments in the development of gasoline and diesel and jet fuel that’s actually made from a plant-like substance-algae... We could replace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-re-making-new-investments-in-the-development-of-gasoline-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today much of anti-biofuel "science" - including the false claim that biofuels need more energy to make than they contain - has been shown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-tickell/today-much-of-anti-biofuel-science-including-the-false-claim-that/) [Josh Tickell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-tickell/) ## More by Vinod Khosla > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [The world is hung up on food-based biofuels. Not only are they the wrong thing, they're the uneconomic thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/the-world-is-hung-up-on-food-based-biofuels-not-only-are-they-the/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I generally disagree with most of the very high margin opportunities. Why? Because it's a business strategy tradeoff: the lower the margin you take,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-generally-disagree-with-most-of-the-very-high-margin-opportunities/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [The probability of failure doesn't matter to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/the-probability-of-failure-doesn-t-matter-to-me/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [If I collected all the diamonds in the world, I'd have no 'income' but I'd have a lot of 'assets'. Would my company be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/if-i-collected-all-the-diamonds-in-the-world-i-d-have-no-income-but-i/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [What an entrepreneur does is to build for the long run. If the market is great, you get all of the resources you can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/what-an-entrepreneur-does-is-to-build-for-the-long-run-if-the-market/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [New industries are created by entrepreneurs who don't necessarily have subject matter expertise when they get started, yet they are still responsible for most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/new-industries-are-created-by-entrepreneurs-who-don-t-necessarily/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I don’t mind failing, but if I succeed it better be worth succeeding for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-don-t-mind-failing-but-if-i-succeed-it-better-be-worth-succeeding/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I believe cellulosic fuels, biofuels made from nonfood crops are the only solution that will make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/i-believe-cellulosic-fuels-biofuels-made-from-nonfood-crops-are-the/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [You have to invent the future you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/you-have-to-invent-the-future-you-want/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Hopefully, I can advise entrepreneurs to avoid mistakes. But you can never be sure if you're trying something new and unreasonable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/hopefully-i-can-advise-entrepreneurs-to-avoid-mistakes-but-you-can/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Seeking an acquisition from the start is more than just bad advice for an entrepreneur. For the entrepreneur it leads to short term tactical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/seeking-an-acquisition-from-the-start-is-more-than-just-bad-advice/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Letting the perfect be the enemy of the good is one of the reasons we have a coal-dependent infrastructure, with the resulting environmental impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/letting-the-perfect-be-the-enemy-of-the-good-is-one-of-the-reasons-we/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Germany has a lot of solar power. In fact, in 2005, some 55 or 57 percent of worldwide installations were photovoltaics in Germany. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/germany-has-a-lot-of-solar-power-in-fact-in-2005-some-55-or-57/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [The willingness to fail gives us the freedom to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/the-willingness-to-fail-gives-us-the-freedom-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) [Explore all 101 Vinod Khosla quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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