05/09/08 Iogen suspends Idaho operations

The handwriting isn't on the wall just yet but it probably will be shortly. Canadian based Iogen Corporation is leaning toward building a cellulosic ethanol plant in Saskatchewan and not near Shelley. Iogen officials have been eager to speak with us during the past three years but when asked yesterday about the decision of built a commercial plant in Canada the company would only release a written statement which read in part; "Iogen has suspended operations in Idaho. That said, Idaho has tremendous potential for cellulosic ethanol." The executive director of the Bingham County Economic Development Corporation Brandon Bird agrees that eastern Idaho has lots of potential. BIRD "The straw supply is reliable. Its strong here and because of that you can count on the fact that there will be other companies if not maybe still Iogen in the future that will be looking at Southeast Idaho and we as economic development will be marketing that straw crop to those companies because the opportunities are just too good to be true." While the US Energy Department offered an 80 million dollar grant the Canadian government put together a 500 million dollar incentive package which should lead to a formal Iogen announcement sometime in the near future. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott