Northwest’s biofuel boom goes bust

In two short years, the Northwest has gone from biofuels boom to biofuels bust.

The boom began in August 2007, when Imperium Renewables opened a 100 million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant near Grays Harbor, Wash. A month later, Pacific Ethanol opened a 40 million-gallon corn ethanol plant in Boardman. In June 2008, Cascade Grain opened a 113 million-gallon corn ethanol plant in Clatskanie.

Encouraged by tax breaks and Oregon and Washington standards designed to require biofuels’ use, the companies promised environmental benefits on an industrial scale, a quantum leap from smaller-scale producers making fuel from cooking grease and Northwest crops. Nearly 30 more projects were under discussion.

Then came this year.

by Scott Learn, The Oregonian

Full Story: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/06/northwests_biofuel_boom_goes_b.html