A pilot-scale cellulosic plant using corn cobs is being constructed in Scotland, SD, by Poet. The 20,000-gal., $4-million plant is being built next to the company's 9-million-gallon corn-based ethanol plant. Poet was one of six companies to receive a total of $385 million in Department of Energy grants for cellulosic ethanol.

Poet has been working on cellulosic ethanol technology for more than eight years. “In the past few months, our scientists have been able to achieve significant ethanol percentages in fermentation and improve the yield of ethanol from biomass,” says Jeff Broin, CEO of Poet.