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And You Thought YOUR Gas Bill Was High
Gov. Ted Strickland’s visit to Greenville this week gave the media and the public a rare glimpse of Ohio’s largest ethanol plant.
And if folks weren’t amazed by the sheer size of the facility, which is capable of producing 110 million gallons of ethanol annually, consider this: The facility spends $3 million PER MONTH for natural gas, and about $500,000 per month for electricity, according to plant manager Ted Hafer. Long-term, the plant hopes to find alternative ways to run its boilers and heat water for the making of ethanol.
The joint venture between subsidiaries of The Andersons Inc., based in Maumee, and Marathon Oil Corp. employs 45 people, paying them a wage of $15 to $20 per hour. Nearly $200 million was invested in the high-tech facility and the working capital needed to keep it running.
The plant’s grain bins can hold up to 3 million bushels of corn.
Hafer said the plant, operating at full capacity since last month, produces 40 percent more energy than it uses, though not everyone is convinced that corn-based ethanol will do much to help wean our nation off Mideast oil. Some said the fuel does more harm than good to the environment, while others point to the upward pressure it places on food prices.
Strickland, for one, is upbeat about ethanol.
“Nearly every energy source imaginable has its critics,” Strickland said.
What’s your take on ethanol?
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