In the past week, groundbreaking ceremonies have been held for three new farmer-owned ethanol plants in Iowa and Nebraska. Ground was broken for the Pine Lake Corn Processors in Steamboat Rock, Iowa, and Husker Ag Processing in Plainview, Nebraska, on November 16th. Little Sioux Corn Processors in Marcus, Iowa, broke ground November 19th. Monte Shaw is with the Renewable Fuels Association. Shaw says the three plants, together, will annually produce about 75 million gallons of ethanol.Shaw says the three new plants will employ the dry-milling process in which the corn is pounded into ethanol. The dry-mill process is said to be more efficient to run.There are presently 57 ethanol plants operating in the U-S, producing about two billion gallons of the corn-based fuel every year. There are 16 MORE ethanol plants under construction.
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