City may sell land for ethanol plant

FARGO (AP) - The City Commission is being asked to approve an option to sell a 140-acre parcel of land near the city's sewage lagoons for an ethanol plant.

Terry Goerger, of Mantador, a board member of Gold Energy LLC, which is proposing the plant, said Friday that the proposed natural-gas fired plant would produce 100 million gallons of ethanol a year, using 36 million bushels of corn. Details of the venture will be released in the coming weeks, he said.

Goerger said Fargo is one of four or five places in North Dakota and Minnesota being considered as a site for the plant. Fargo commissioners are to discuss the proposal Monday night.

Goerger said a new federal energy bill is helping to put more emphasis on renewable fuels.

"We just want to take advantage of some of those things and get our business in place and create a new industry," Goerger said.

He said about 45 jobs will be created to run the plant and many more will be needed to build it.

Brian Walters, president of the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corp., said ethanol plants add to the tax base of their communities and add value to farm products.

"It's a great fit for our region," he said.