Economy Shifts, and the Ethanol Industry Reels - NYTimes.com

Some are more optimistic, in part because of lower corn prices.

“The future of the industry looks very bright,” said Ronald H. Miller, president and chief executive of Aventine, citing the rising federal quotas for producing ethanol.

But he characterized the current environment as “choppy.” Aventine lost about $30 million earlier this year on certain securities, and recently delayed construction on a Nebraska plant to stretch its cash.