05/16/08

The first major fuel refinery in the state of Idaho is now online. Pacific Ethanol can take a bushel of corn and in only four days, turn it into just less than three gallons of ethanol.

Neil Koehler, CEO, Pacific Ethanol said "We're producing enough ethanol in this plant to supply ten percent of all the fuel for the state of Idaho. And that is a very, very significant event. (APPLAUSE)"

The International Monetary Fund says that increased production of bio-fuels like ethanol is the biggest factor in skyrocketing food prices. But Edward Lazear of President Bush's Council Of Economic Advisors says that ethanol production only accounts for just over one percent of those increases over the last year.

Koehler says this plant takes all of the protein, minerals, and fat in corn and concentrates it into cattle feed.

He said, "We create a feed product that has 120 percent of the feed value of the original corn that we brought into the plant. They're close to 40 percent on a weight basis and all of the food value concentrated, processed in a way that is more digestible to the animals that we feed."

Koehler says the corn used to make ethanol was never designated as human food but as food for animals, instead.

Right now the plant employs 40 people, but the economic ripple effect could end up creating 700 local jobs.

Koehler says, "I think it's very important for the citizens of this community, and citizens of the country and the world to understand these facts, and be proud of what we are doing here as Pacific Ethanol and the community can bring a very much-needed fuel to the state and to the world."

Jay Michaels, KMVT News.