what about ethanol plants?

mmidlam · Oct 8, 2011

I am think about applying for a job at an ethanol plant. Do you think these will still be running in a few years? I don't see the government subsidies lasting much longer.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 8, 2011

go for it, they will keep giveing them money till there ain't none left.

rustyfarmall · Oct 8, 2011

(quoted from post at 11:32:41 10/08/11) I am think about applying for a job at an ethanol plant. Do you think these will still be running in a few years? I don't see the government subsidies lasting much longer.

Go for it. Ethanol is here to stay, and will survive even if the subsidies are taken away.

big fred · Oct 8, 2011

I kinda think that ship has sailed.

IaGary · Oct 8, 2011

That ship has been sailing for 30+ years here in Iowa. Isn't gonna sink with or without subsidies.

We can take away all the subsidies and save taxpayers money. And then gas and ethanol can go up that amount and we can pay it in higher gas prices.

Kinda a pay me now or pay me later.

Gary

paul · Oct 8, 2011

Agree with you Gary.

Lot of people don't understand they use poorer (cheaper) gasoline to mix with the ethanol, to get to the octane needed. If you pull the ethanol away now, you just greatly jacked up the price of gasoline. The cries and teeth knashing from the public would be loud....

We are currently exporting ethsanol to Brazil, if that tells you anything about it.

Some of the plants may convert to cellulose over time, if they ever get that working properly. But - the plant will still be there, you'll still have a job, no difference to the employee. Actually need a couple more employees to handle the bigger volume of raw material.

--->Paul

JDseller · Oct 8, 2011

The ethanol plants around here are NOT big employers. The plants after they are built don't seem to take many to run them. The plant at Dyersville does not have more than ten guys working there.

I personally don't like ethanol blended fuel. You can buy and use what ever you want. Also the energy gained out of a gallon of ethanol fuel is not very much. It takes too much energy to grow/make the ethanol. The process is getting better but is still not a real answer to the energy needs of this country.

With the higher farm prices right now, I don't think we need subsidies in agriculture right now. If a few of the guys around here where not getting millions of dollars they would not be paying $300-400 an acre rent. Look it up. I have two neighbors that have gotten more than $5 million dollars, combined total, the last ten years.

Ethanol should be able to stand on its own too. It is not a new industry. It has been around for just about a 100 years now. Henry Ford tried to get it going then.

JMS/.MN · Oct 9, 2011

Hey, bud....you may remember that we invested in an ethanol plant years ago. Remember when Gov Pawlenty, by a stroke of his pen, reduced the State subsidy and stretched it out farther? He said only two MN plants were losing money, so the industry could afford his action? Yup, one of those two was the one we invested in, and delivered corn to. It is currently closed. I still support ethanol, use it in our flex fuel van whenever I find it. Point of this msg is this------mrs and I talked this week about ethanol residue....ie, distillers grains...excellent livestock feed. We used it when we had dairy. Question is, what about eth residue when eth comes from switchgrass, cornstalks, other fiber? Any idea what it is used for? I know POET is big on residue eth.

36 Coupe · Oct 9, 2011

The Model A Ford had a cast iron carberator and gas filter.The driver could adjust the main jet by turning the choke knob.It would have run well on alcohol.The A was fed a lot of kerosene during gas rationing.

MarkB_MI · Oct 9, 2011

The boom is over with, but the plants that haven't already gone broke will probably stick around. Even if congress gets a backbone and ends the subsidies, there's still considerable demand for ethanol due to the elimination of MTBE.

Lumpie · Oct 9, 2011

Ethanol is a massive boondoggle. Why isn't there more support at the federal level? Because the vast majority of Americans realize what a joke it is. The only support it has is from the producers of it, that is shown clearly even on this board. The guys growing corn say it's the greatest thing since sliced cheese. You have to remember all the other subsidies the farmers get to grow corn, no tax on diesel fuel, tax exempt ag purchases, the soil conservation program that pays them for work to be done to put otherwise unsuitable ground into production, etc. The biodeisel industry is failing because the people who are forced to use it realize what a crappy product it is.

Oldmax · Oct 9, 2011

DAD ran a lot of 1# in an "A model Ford " during WW-2, could get it for heating He raised chickins "fryers" for local Evens supper market.

B Woods · Oct 9, 2011

Lumpie you are full of it. Do you farm for a living? Do you remember all those years that you prayed you broke even.

what about ethanol plants?

mmidlam

Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

rustyfarmall

Well-known Member

big fred

Well-known Member

IaGary

Well-known Member

paul

Well-known Member

JDseller

Well-known Member

JMS/.MN

Well-known Member

36 Coupe

Well-known Member

MarkB_MI

Well-known Member

Lumpie

Member

Oldmax

Member

B Woods

Member

Similar threads