The nation's growing thirst for ethanol is leading to a miniboom in plant construction — even far from the Corn Belt, which has been home to most production.

"It's a little bit of a dot-com atmosphere," says John Skelley, president of Arizona Grain, an equity partner in a new ethanol plant being built outside Phoenix.


Thirty-three ethanol plants are under construction, and another eight of the 95 plants in operation are being expanded, the Renewable Fuels Association reports.

About half the new construction began in the year since President Bush signed an energy bill that encourages greater use of ethanol as an ecologically sound fuel additive.