Wall Street acquiring a taste for ethanol

The surest signs of corporate interest in Minnesota ethanol are in the southern part of the state where three ethanol plants are in the planning stage. Each would be two to three times larger than the average ethanol plant currently operating in Minnesota.

Unlike the farmer-owned model that dominates, all three will be constructed mainly with money from large nonfarm investors. John Christianson of Willmar, Minn., an ethanol industry insider, said it’s definitely a departure from business as usual.

twincities