Monsanto exec: Ethanol still important energy source

The News-Gazette (Champaign, IL)
By Don Dodson
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 2:20 PM CDT

CHAMPAIGN – The economics of corn-based ethanol aren't as bright as they were a few years ago, but the fuel still needs to be part of America's energy portfolio, a Monsanto Co. executive says.

"We were living in a pretty sweet spot a couple years ago," Martha Schlicher told about 70 people attending an "Agri-Energy" conference at Parkland College on Tuesday.

At the time, favorable margins and free-flowing capital spurred rapid development of ethanol plants.

In 2000, the nation had 56 such plants with a total capacity of 1.8 billion gallons a year. By 2006, the number had grown to 110 plants with a capacity of 4.8 billion gallons a year. By last year, more than 180 plants had been built, able to produce 10 billion gallons a year.

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