South Dakota: Cellulosic ethanol will be produced by the ethanol company POET at their 20,000 gallon pilot plant in Scotland, South Dakota, before the end of the year. Fibers from corn kernels and cobs can both be used for cellulosic ethanol, according to POET CEO Jeff Broin. He also added that this type of ethanol production could be very beneficial in making the goal of 36 billion gallons of ethanol production in the America.
Nationwide: As the long march toward Election Day drags on, NPR's Bill Kennard spoke with representatives from both campaigns about rural broadband. McCain promotes a program called People Connect that offers tax and other financial benefits to companies providing service to low-income and rural users. Obama proposes a modernizing of the universal service fund, which has helped establish phone service in rural areas for decades, to include broadband Internet.
Oregon: Developers have gained approval from the state energy panel for their proposed Columbia River Gorge wind farm, which they say would be the world's largest wind farm. At peak production 909 megawatts, or enough power for about 225,000 homes, will be produced. The construction phase of the project will employ up to 300 people and about 25 when operational.
Virginia: Sue Lindsey from the Associated Press reports that in the Southwest corner of the state a website called Return to Roots lists job openings and promotes the area to former residents. The job listings include industries such as technology, engineering, education, and health care. Similar efforts have been launched in other states as well, including Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas.
Contact: Casey Francis,
caseyf@cfra.org for more information.
