03/09/05 IOGEN months away from plant decision

Its down to three and the Idaho Falls area is one of the potential sites for a 250 million-dollar ethanol production facility. IOGEN Corporation of Canada wants to build a plant to produce ethanol from straw. Company spokesman Morris Hladk says they're also considering sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan. First they need commitment from eastern Idaho farmers who will supply the straw. Hladk says no one site is ahead of another on straw. Next, IOGEN says it needs government help, be it from Washington or Ottawa. HLADK "Primarily what we're looking for is a loan guarantee not an outward grant or anything like that but a loan guarantee to cover 75 to 80 percent of the cost of the project." Hladk says Senator Larry Craig has been trying to get some federal legislation that could benefit Idaho. But the Congress has been debating a national energy policy for four years and the debate rages on. Hladk says it's the same story in Canada, a lot of talk but not a lot of legislative action. HLADK "Within Idaho the thing we're looking on is enthusiastic farm community willing to and enthusiastic growers willing to contract with us for straw." This summer IOGEN hopes to make a final decision on which community will get plant and then the search for the land will begin. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott