10/10/06 Ethanol, part two

For the next couple of days experts on wind and solar energy, those who know about ethanol and biofuels, the people who deal with hydro and geothermal energy production, all will be talking and listening in Boise. The Idaho Council on Industry and the Environment is putting on the two day energy workshop. Many see renewable energy as the future and USDA chief economist Keith Collins says a lot of people are jumping on the ethanol bandwagon. Does that mean that ethanol production is going to improve the bottom line for farmers? COLLINS "I'm very careful about suggesting that." Collins says look at what's happened just this year when gasoline and diesel prices shot up to record highs and now they're retreating. What's that all mean for more ethanol production. COLLINS "It really will depend on what happens with the price of oil and gasoline. You know we had futures prices for ethanol this summer in Chicago at over three dollars a gallon. I don't know if anybody looks at the futures prices anymore. The December contract is down to a dollar-98." And where do we go from here? That's the same question that will be asked in the final session of the Idaho energy workshop tomorrow afternoon with some of the experts hopefully have answers. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott