Ethanol plant clears hurdle

The nation’s first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant is a step closer to breaking ground in Soperton. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the state has granted Range Fuels a commercial permit for the site in Treutlin County, southwest of Swainsboro. It’s set to break ground this summer. The Colorado-based company says the plant will produce more than a 100 million gallons of ethanol a year using – not corn – but wood chips. The chips will come from wood waste from Georgia’s timber industry.