The competition is heating up in Atlantic, where two companies are looking to construct separate ethanol plants. Last month, officials with Amaizing Energy, L-L-C in Denison announced that a letter of intent had been signed indicating the company planned to build an 84-million dollar, 50-million gallon ethanol production facility, and they had narrowed the site to within three-miles north-northwest of town. Construction is tentatively set to begin early next Spring.
Wednesday, officials with Green Plains Renewable Energy in Shenandoah announced their intention to build a 50-to 100-million gallon per year plant on 80-acres of land located on Atlantic’s east side. The company said it had been looking at land options in the area since 2004, and that they had worked-out an agreement with a property owner last November.
They wanted to hold off on making the announcement until Green Plains’ stock went public, which happened last Wednesday. Company officials have asked the Cass County Board of Supervisors for an incentive package in the form of TIF revenue rebates. The supervisors will consider the request at their next meeting. If approved, the Green Plains facility would create 35 new jobs with an average salary of 46-thousand dollars, and a starting wage for labor of 12-dollars per hour, or an annual payroll of about 1.8-million dollars.