It is a far cry from getting off petro but it's a step in building the needed infrastructure. The claim about the competitive edge is a curious one. I know from a performance stand point you have to run alcohol at a much richer rate although it gives a huge advantage in compression ratio and also runs much much cooler. Plus the cost will depend greatly on the demand. I suppose though they could predict the cost of production to some considerable accuracy. They are taking a big risk because the Democrats can accuse them of price gouging and have them by the balls. I’m sure there will be a degree of the usual extortion at the cost of true environmental reform. Here read the article for yourself. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/14/business/14webethanol.php
Xethanol, http://www.xethanol.com, purhcased a closed pfizer plant about a mile from my current plant and next door to where I used to work. They were going to make it their 'big' plant for E85 and Bio-Diesel. They purchased the plant at a steal for 8million. The city and state gave them huge tax breaks on the purchase, mainly because they were going to employee a couple hundred people and produce umpteen thousand gallons of fuel a day. Well, the plant they purchases was worth about 20 million in stainless alone. So in the two years since the purchase they have been scrapping the plant. Not in a way you would do it if you were planning on reusing stuff. Just cut and haul. When I looked further into Xethanol I found that their 'start up' plant, I believe it was in Ohio maybe Iowa, was abandoned. Empty parking lot with grass growing up through it. A huge AC unit sitting out in the yard on pallets. I guess the city didnt do its due diligence when giving away all these tax breaks. Any effort to convert waste into a useable, renewable, fuel is worth looking at. If they can pump a bunch of turds and mix them up to make some fuel, they may have the mother load. As fat as us Americans are Im sure there would plenty of pooh to go round.
Yeah I remembered you telling about that plant. Hey they could try using bullshit cause Texas has lots of bullshit.
