Ethanol hot new commodity

Ethanol hot new commodity Ethanol is being talked up as a hot new commodity for both Florida's domestic and international markets.
   The State of Florida is offering $7.5 million annually in corporate income tax credits and sales tax exemptions over the next four years for businesses that produce and distribute clean fuels such as ethanol. The state has also put up $15 million for a renewable energy technology grant program.
   Gov. Jeb Bush said in a recent posting on the state website that Florida should be not only a domestic producer with crops like sugar cane, but a distribution center for imports from foreign producers.
   'As a gateway to the Americas, Florida has several ports of entry for ethanol from Central and South America. With most of our fuel flowing into the state from our ports, it would be a viable expansion of existing operations,' Bush said.