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Ethanol plant project begins
By Jessica VanderKolk, jvanderkolk@altoonamirror.com
POSTED: March 14, 2008
CLEARFIELD — Construction equipment worked to level and grade muddy soil in Clearfield County’s technology park Thursday, while a ceremonial groundbreaking for a $265 million ethanol plant, Pennsylvania’s first, took place across from shining, red R.J. Corman locomotives.
Dozens of local officials gathered with the project’s partners to don white hard hats and toss dirt with silver shovels to mark the start of the project. Construction will begin in earnest next month.
The BioEnergy LLC project includes corn and cellulosic ethanol pilot plants. The corn-based facility aims to begin production in early 2010, producing 100 million gallons of the alternative fuel a year. The cellulosic plant, which will produce 140 million gallons a year of ethanol using switch grass, wood waste and other products, also should begin production that year.
“I think America’s future lies in cellulosic,” said Gov. Ed Rendell, who traveled to Clearfield for the occasion. “It’s gonna be great for our environment and great for our economy.’’
The state contributed $17.4 million to the project in August 2006, mostly through the Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program, which supports construction of regional economic, civic, cultural and historic projects.
When the plant begins production, the state could use the fuel at gasoline pumps across the state under a bill passed in the House this week.
The legislation calls for 1 billion gallons of nonfossil fuel at pumps by 2017, which Rendell said will be equal to the amount of fuel imported from the Persian Gulf by that year. Vehicles in Pennsylvania pump about 11 million gallons today.
Rep. Camille ‘‘Bud’’ George, D-Houtzdale, said the plant will make Clearfield County a ‘‘hotbed of innovation for years to come.’’ It also will provide 110 jobs.
He called his home district the ‘‘can-do’’ county.
‘‘We’re worth the energy, the time and the investment,’’ he said. ‘‘We’ve shown we’re Clearfield Countians first and Democrats and Republicans second.’’
County Commissioner Mark McCracken said the county’s population was looking for a new industrial identity.
‘‘We used to be coal and brick,’’ he said. ‘‘Gov. Rendell said we would be a national leader. That caused my level of enthusiasm to go up.’’
Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, said the Clearfield plant is the 57th under construction in the U.S., with 142 in development, up from a handful of plants in the mid-’90s.
Twenty-three states currently produce ethanol.
‘‘This is important,’’ Dinneen said. ‘‘This is the only thing we have to address the perils of climate change.’’
Dozens of local officials gathered with the project’s partners to don white hard hats and toss dirt with silver shovels to mark the start of the project. Construction will begin in earnest next month.
The BioEnergy LLC project includes corn and cellulosic ethanol pilot plants. The corn-based facility aims to begin production in early 2010, producing 100 million gallons of the alternative fuel a year. The cellulosic plant, which will produce 140 million gallons a year of ethanol using switch grass, wood waste and other products, also should begin production that year.
“I think America’s future lies in cellulosic,” said Gov. Ed Rendell, who traveled to Clearfield for the occasion. “It’s gonna be great for our environment and great for our economy.’’
The state contributed $17.4 million to the project in August 2006, mostly through the Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program, which supports construction of regional economic, civic, cultural and historic projects.
When the plant begins production, the state could use the fuel at gasoline pumps across the state under a bill passed in the House this week.
The legislation calls for 1 billion gallons of nonfossil fuel at pumps by 2017, which Rendell said will be equal to the amount of fuel imported from the Persian Gulf by that year. Vehicles in Pennsylvania pump about 11 million gallons today.
Rep. Camille ‘‘Bud’’ George, D-Houtzdale, said the plant will make Clearfield County a ‘‘hotbed of innovation for years to come.’’ It also will provide 110 jobs.
He called his home district the ‘‘can-do’’ county.
‘‘We’re worth the energy, the time and the investment,’’ he said. ‘‘We’ve shown we’re Clearfield Countians first and Democrats and Republicans second.’’
County Commissioner Mark McCracken said the county’s population was looking for a new industrial identity.
‘‘We used to be coal and brick,’’ he said. ‘‘Gov. Rendell said we would be a national leader. That caused my level of enthusiasm to go up.’’
Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, said the Clearfield plant is the 57th under construction in the U.S., with 142 in development, up from a handful of plants in the mid-’90s.
Twenty-three states currently produce ethanol.
‘‘This is important,’’ Dinneen said. ‘‘This is the only thing we have to address the perils of climate change.’’
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