Regional Report / Cold, wet weather hinders Midwest corn harvest - TwinCities.com

One-fifth of Minnesota's record corn crop is still in the field, with cold wet weather settling in and winter approaching.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that 20 percent of Minnesota's corn crop still hadn't been harvested as of Sunday, compared with just 2 percent still in the field a year ago. This year's corn crop was planted late, matured late and now is being harvested late. Cold and rainy weather last week kept most combines out of the field — especially in northwest Minnesota — and harvest progress was scant. Harvested corn acres rose from 75 percent to 80 percent, USDA said.

The situation is mirrored around the Upper Midwest. In Iowa, 70 percent of the crop has been harvested, compared with the usual 95 percent. In South Dakota, 59 percent was harvested, compared with a 91 percent average. And only 33 percent of North Dakota corn had been harvested, compared with an 88 percent average.

Once booming, now beaten down, ethanol enters a new era with some players on the ropes. ETHANOL braces for next round - TwinCities.com

Meanwhile, older, farmer-owned [ethanol] plants have some advantages, including deep roots that will let them weather downturns — a benefit in Minnesota, where growers own 11 of the 19 plants operating.
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Ethanol was long viewed as a startup, but its hyper-growth — fueled in part by mandates and government incentives — has led to massive production. By next month, the industry will be producing ethanol at a rate of 11 billion gallons a year.
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For Minnesota, the future of the ethanol industry has long been a concern, because nowhere in America has ethanol been nurtured more, subsidized more and mandated more.
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During the ethanol boom, outside investors were enticed by ethanol profits. Many were novice investors who understood neither energy nor agriculture. But even shrewd and savvy investors jumped in, and they've been burned, too.
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The ethanol industry did die once before. An infant "gasohol" business arose from the oil-price shocks of the 1970s, but crumbled in the early 1980s when oil prices collapsed. The ethanol industry wasn't resurrected until the 1980s farm crisis.

State's alleged 'new energy' edge - TwinCities.com

Critics say investing billions of taxpayer dollars into energy could lead to a boom-bust cycle like the one ethanol is working through, and it won't create more energy than otherwise would have been created.

Supporters such as Morris say it's just the spark the economy needs.

"What aren't we throwing money at?" he asked.
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"All we need to do is give the right signal ... and the investments will flow," said Randall Swisher, executive director of the American Wind Energy Association.