'ETHANOL BOOM OF A FEW YEARS AGO IS ON HOLD'

(Kearney Hub) — KearneyHub.com reports, "Investors and entrepreneurs who rushed to develop ethanol plant projects in Nebraska just a few years ago have been in a wait-and-see mode the past few years." Some of the reasons behind the slowdown include "a doubling of construction costs; spikes in corn prices, especially in summer 2008; and a recession that turned off funding taps," according to the story. Also, according to one Kearney-area ethanol businessman, "most projects announced a few years ago probably were little more than an idea." Todd Sneller of the Nebraska Ethanol Board says he "doesn’t expect another rush of start-ups" and that "investments likely will be made by industry veterans and established agribusiness companies that have 'strategic reasons' to go into ethanol production." Read the article at http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/article_55917066-0831-11df-8fcf-001cc4c03286.html>