10/09/06 Idaho`s ethanol future

There has been a lot of talk in Idaho, especially in recent years, to create ethanol production plants. Critics of ethanol and government subsidies that are involved say ethanol is a loser because it takes more energy to produce it than you get in return. They often cite a study that was taken years ago. COLLINS "Unrealistic and out of date." That's USDA Chief Economist Keith Collins. He told a group of farmers recently that USDA has done two studies on ethanol production, the first one about five years ago. COLLINS "The BTU content of ethanol was 25 percent greater than all the BTU's it took to produce it and last year we updated that study and we got I believe about 65 percent more energy in ethanol than it takes to produce it. So it is substantial above break even." Partly because farmers are learning how to use fewer inputs to get more corn production and technology keeps improving production efficiency. But what is the future for ethanol? That's just one of the alternative energy sources that will be part of a discussion over the next several days at a Boise workshop organized by the Idaho Council on Industry and the Environment. More about that tomorrow. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott