Sunnyside Ethanol approved for 90 Mgy, $400 million corn ethanol project in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, Sunnyside Ethanol has proposed a 90 Mgy, $400 million ethanol production plant in Curwensvile. The Curwensville Planning Commission and Borough Council gave the green light to the project with 13 conditions. including environmental and traffic remediation.

Pennsylvania background

In Pennsylvania, Governor Ed Rendell and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky called for passage of the $850 million dollar state clean-energy plan, which includes $250 million for businesses for clean energy project assistance, $30 million for grants and loans for wind projects, $200 million for solar rebates and incentives, and $56 million in early-stage support for new clean energy technologies.

Last December, the Republican-controlled State Senate passed a $650 million energy package, more than $200 million short of Gov. Rendel’s proposed energy plan.

The bill provides $380 million in incentives for research and manufacturing in biofuels and other renewable energies such as wind and solar. $170 million was earmarked for consumer rebates on purchase of energy-saving items such as energy efficient appliances, hybrid cars or solar panels. $100 million would go to emergency aid for poor families for assistance with rising utility bills.

In March, BioEnergy commenced construction on its two plant complex In Pennsylvania, a 100 Mgy corn ethanol facility and a pilot cellulosic ethanol plant in Clearfield County that will both commence production in 2010. The project received $17.4 million in assistance from the Pennsylvania state government, and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell was on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony. “America’s future lies in cellulosic,” he said in commencement remarks.

BioEnergy International closed financing for its two ethanol plants in Clearfield. The $201 million in debt financing was provided by TD Banknorth and WestLB, with tax exempt bond financing by Sterns Brothers. Equity funding was provided by BioEnergy and its investors Plainfield Asset Management, Camulos Capital, Itera Ethanol, LLC, Context Capital Management and NGP Capital Resources.

“The corn and cellulosic pilot plants to be built in Clearfield are core to BioEnergy’s mission of integrating the development of novel biocatalysts for use in innovative, state-of-the-art biorefineries,” the company said.

Also in March, the Conoy Township board of Supervisors in Lancaster County granted zoning approval for a new 60 Mgy ethanol plant. The supervisors voted 3-2 to grant a conditional-use permit, based on 77 conditions, to the $120 Lancaster Biofuels project after five months of hearings. Opponents said they are considering a court challenge. Lancaster Biofuels said that if air, water and land permits are secured, the plant expects to commence operations as soon as 2010.

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