By Michael Kanellos – December 20, 2007 via News.Com
It was another strong year for green transportation, but a lot of potential pitfalls in the industry became more apparent.
Just ask ethanol producers for the evidence. In 2005 and 2006, investors flocked to traditional ethanol makers, allowing companies like VeraSun Energy to go public. The high prices for the fuel, combined with the relatively low price of feedstocks it’s made from, made the industry look attractive.
Then the price of corn shot up, budding profits turned to losses, and ethanol makers started to merge.