Ethanol is just the beginning

Ethanol factories are sprouting like corn tassels in July, and investors are plunking down their life savings in expectation of big returns.

It feels good for Iowa to have a genuine boom in a growth industry. This state hasn’t seen anything like it in a long time.

But will it last?



Plus, there is the potential for constructing biorefineries that, like petroleum refineries, would be capable of producing a wide range of products, such as plastics, adhesives, solvents, packaging materials and lubricants in addition to motor fuels. The implications for Iowa’s economy are dazzling.

The government estimates that the nation could produce enough cellulosic ethanol to displace 30 percent of petroleum consumption.

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