Highlands Needs To Look Closely At Proposed Ethanol Plant

By HIGHLANDS TODAY STAFF | Highlands Today
Published: January 27, 2008

The news that a Tampa alternative fuel corporation wants to build an ethanol plant in Venus is interesting.

At first glance, it seems like a good deal for Highlands County by creating more jobs and allowing the county to get more involved in the renewable energy industry. It also could be beneficial to local growers.

United States EnviroFuels has been awarded $7 million grant to build the plant that - if it is permitted - would initially produce 20 million gallons a year.

The $47 million plant will use sweet sorghum, which is not a food crop. Sorghum also uses less water and fertilizer than sugar or corn crops and grows rapidly. Supplemental feedstock will also include sugar cane, cane milling byproducts and other sugar crops produced by local growers.

At last Tuesday's Highlands County Commission meeting, an ethanol plant - not specifically the one proposed for Venus - was discussed. There was a concern about how much water would be needed.

During the meeting a similar project was also mentioned. A Lake Placid Realtor told commissioners there is a company that is interested in putting a biodiesel fuel plant in the county.

The county needs to look carefully at these projects. Hopefully, there won't be any environmental issues that will crop up.