fuel from cellulose? Possible huge breakthrough

http://listen.sdpb.org/post/south-dakota-company-announces-ethanol-breakthrough

"Officials with Poet DSM Advanced Biofuels have announced a breakthrough that will allow for increased cellulosic ethanol production.
The latest development from the South Dakota-based company is a process called pre-treatment. Matt Merritt with Poet DSM Advanced Biofuels says pre-treatment transforms plant residue like corn cobs and husks into a substance that can eventually lead to fuel. "

The article doesn't say how energy intensive the process is. Of course you don't want to be using up one kind of energy to produce less energy in another form (ethanol).  So we wait to see...