GREENVILLE — Marveling at steel and concrete grain bins capable of holding 3 million bushels of corn, Gov. Ted Strickland called Ohio's largest ethanol plant just one kind of "energy infrastructure" he wants to grow through a newly proposed, bipartisan $1.57 billion jobs stimulus package.

He acknowledged growing criticism of corn-based ethanol's environmental record and upward pressure on food prices. But he said the fuel is a net plus for Ohio's flagging economy and gives the nation a measure of independence from Mideast oil.

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Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (left) looks towards grain silos as he's given a tour of, The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC., by Ted Hafer (right), the plant manager. The ethanol producing facility is located in Greenville Ohio.Click to enlarge

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (left) looks towards one of the many grain silos as he's given a tour of The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC. Ted Hafer (right), the plant manager is giving the tour. The ethanol producing facility is located in Greenville Ohio.Click to enlarge

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (left) is takes a tour of The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC. The ethanol producing facility is located in Greenville Ohio. Here the governor is in the dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) building of the plant. DDGS is the product obtained after the removal of ethyl alcohol by distillation from yeast fermentation of grain.Click to enlarge

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (left) is given a tour of The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC by Buzz Seydel, a site supervisor. The ethanol producing facility is located in Greenville Ohio.Click to enlarge

"Nearly every energy source imaginable has its critics," Strickland said after touring the ethanol plant on Thursday, April 3. And while "there is a tendency to blame ethanol" for higher food prices, I don't think that's a serious concern. Food prices remain relatively affordable."

Strickland's tour gave a rare public glimpse inside the plant, a joint venture between subsidiaries of The Andersons Inc., based in Maumee, and Marathon Oil Corp.

The plant, operating at full capacity for a month, can make 110 million gallons of ethanol from 43 million bushels of corn each year.

Prices are at record levels for corn, the chief cost in producing ethanol. "We're lucky ethanol prices have been moving higher because we're very close to that break-even point," said Neill McKinstray of The Andersons Inc.

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