Ethanol plants planned in Wagoner, Enid

WAGONER, Okla. (AP) -- Plans are in the works to up to three ethanol plants in Oklahoma.<br/><br/>Ethanol Energy LLC has purchased an option to buy land near Wagoner and company officials are already meeting

Tuesday, July 18th 2006, 2:18 pm

By: News On 6

WAGONER, Okla. (AP) -- Plans are in the works to up to three ethanol plants in Oklahoma.

Ethanol Energy LLC has purchased an option to buy land near Wagoner and company officials are already meeting with farmers in the area to discuss the availability of corn needed to run the plant.

Company co-president Robert Vineze says the plant would have 31 full-time employees and use about 15-million bushels of corn each year.

And in Enid groundbreaking is expected this fall on one ethanol plant while a second is in the planning process in the same area.

Supporters say using ethanol will reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Work is also being done on deriving ethanol from nonfood materials such as switchgrass, prairie grasses and woody plants.