EVANSVILLE – Governor Jim Doyle today broke ground on a new biodiesel refining facility in Evansville and announced $125,000 from the Department of Transportation and $125,000 from the Department of Commerce.
“With new technology, and a commitment to renewable fuels, Wisconsin can lead the way – reducing global warming and helping this nation kick its addiction to foreign oil,” Governor Doyle said. “Our state has the ideal resources to be a national model for renewable energy – from agriculture and forestry, to manufacturing and cutting edge innovation. As I’ve always said, when it comes to our energy future, we should rely more on the farm fields of the Midwest, and less on the oilfields of the Mideast.”
After exploring sites in Minnesota, North Prairie Productions, LLC chose Evansville for its close proximity to soybean fields and for Wisconsin’s leadership in renewable energy. The new 62,400 square-foot facility will use soy oil and other materials to produce up to 45 million gallons of biodiesel fuel a year. The project is expected to create 56 jobs and generate $2.7 million for Wisconsin’s economy.
State Transportation funds will help the City of Evansville reconstruct a 2,600 foot section of County Highway M where the facility is set to be located. State Commerce funds will help the city pay for a new water main for the new facility. The City of Evansville is covering the remaining costs of the construction project – totaling $503,600.
In the state budget, Governor Doyle proposed a $40 million investment to move forward on Wisconsin’s “Declaration of Energy Independence,” the Governor’s plan to generate 25 percent of our electricity and 25 percent of our transportation fuel from renewable fuels by 2025. The plan also aims to capture 10 percent of the market share for the production of renewable energy sources by 2030 and make Wisconsin a national leader in groundbreaking research to make alternative energies more affordable and available to all – and turn discoveries into new, high paying jobs. Achieving this goal would bring $13.5 billion annually to Wisconsin’s economy by 2030.
