"Biotown" We Hardly Knew Ya
Tom Murphy at the Indy Star checks in on the progress of Gov. Daniels’s vision for Renolds, Indiana in today’s Star:
From the outset, the vision for BioTown was ambitious. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and the state Department of Agriculture wanted to create a model for energy self-sufficiency. No other U.S. community produces all its own energy, and a German village that runs on renewable energy took eight years to develop. But project officials believed they could turn this community of about 550 people, surrounded by silos and stubbly corn fields, into something special. "We are taking challenges and turning them into opportunities by developing homegrown, local energy production to become independent from foreign sources," Daniels said in announcing the project.
Link.
Instead, what Mr. Murphy finds in 2008 is much less rosy: Rose Energy Discovery, Inc. dropped plans to build the digester to turn manure into electricity, VeraSun has stopped plans to build it ethanol plant due to the price recent drops in ethanol and high corn prices. Vectren’s Energy Systems Group is still trying to line up financing for the corn-to-energy digester.
Finally, the town leaders have been told that it will not be financially feasible to take the town of the grid. . . But officials remain optimistic: "BioTown Development Authority President John Heimlich preaches patience as the project sputters on. Last year, he and other BioTown leaders visited the German village of Juehnde, which runs on renewable energy. Check out the official version at BioTown, USA
November 2nd, 2008 18:01
[...] big pushes. I noted earlier that the efforts were running into practical difficulties (Biotown we hardly knew ya). Now, VeraSun, the ethanol producer, is headed to bankruptcy court: The ethanol producer that [...]