Far Western KY county to get major economic boost

[Rural King]

Fulton City, KY (Fulton Co) in far western KY received a rare bit of good economic news after a decade of industrial decline this week. A ethanol plant that will provide at first 50 jobs to the economically hard it town is hoped to start construction next month as a joint venture between Bluegrass BioEnergy LLC and the German firm Lurgi AG. The plant is one of several others in the region that are planned, underway, or operational, and will help feed the rapid growth in demand for ethanol as an alternative gas additive.

The good news for Fulton also included the possibility of a expansion of the facility's production capabilities and the addition of a bio-diesel facilty to the operations.

Other plants recently annoucned were a Ethanol/CO2 plant in Obion County, TN, and a Bio-Diesel plant in Gibson County, TN; both of which are within 50 miles of the Fulton site. There is also a ethanol plant in Hopkinsville, KY, roughly 75 miles away.

Source: Kentucky Ag Connection:

http://www.kentuckyagconnection.com/story-...?Id=191&yr=2006

[LA_TN]

This is welcomed news. Have needed some development north of the state line for a long time...

[Jerseyman4]

This is win-win for western Kentucky and for American consumers who are currently being ripped off by $3 a gallon gas by the oil companies.

[LA_TN]

I heard yesterday (?) that there are plans to build a bio-diesel plant in southern IL somewhere, hope that has no effect on this

[PghUSA]

That is great news for the region! W. Kentucky has so much potential glad to see that is being noticed by the people who can bring that potential out!

[Rural King]

I heard yesterday (?) that there are plans to build a bio-diesel plant in southern IL somewhere, hope that has no effect on this

It shouldn't. There is so much demand for ethanol alone that this project will go, as the ethanol is the portion that will be built first and foremost at the site. We only produce about 50% of our current ethanol needs so there is a huge demand for supply to come on-line, and that demand should only grow. Bio-Diesel is probably seeing, or will see, similar demand. Humboldt, Tennessee is building a Bio-Diesel plant as well, and that has been announced for several months, so there probably is sufficient demand if a So. Ill. operation is getting green lighted.

That is great news for the region! W. Kentucky has so much potential glad to see that is being noticed by the people who can bring that potential out!

I totally agree! Its a great region with great people who just need new industries and investors to see the potential there.

[LA_TN]

I heard today that July 9(?) that the USDA is going to make a major announcement regarding ethanol. Apparently, sugar cane and beets are better for making ethanol than corn and this announcement pertains to the sugar-conversion process needed in making ethanol. That's all I know...

[Rural King]

^ Thats how Brazil does it and they are a leader in ethanol production, they are also a major sugarcane producer so that method suits there domestic markets. Its been known for a while that Sugarcane and beets produce better results than corn to a certian degree, but in the US corn is much more predominant across the nation and capable of supplying a market for most of the nation's domestic row-crop farmers, even if not quite as an effective crop to create ethanol.

[franktown]

Horay for Western KY! I really hope this part of Kentucky continues to develop and advance. I really think they could use some more interstate access, especially in the Purchase Area.

[LA_TN]

^Search for I-66 and I-69, think we have a thread here on it somewhere. These are two roads headed there

[Rural King]

^ I-69 will help fill that role for both Western KY and Western TN. Hopefully in 10-15 years when I-69 is nearer to completion the region should start seeing some real positive developments start to take place. The short term is still rather bleak for a lot of Western KY, but the longer view will hopefully get brighter due to I-69.