Fuel from Project Liberty represents a greenhouse gas reduction of 85 to 95 percent over gasoline.

The plant employs 50 people, and biomass harvesting is creating another 65 indirect jobs in the community. In addition, hundreds of peoplewere involved in the construction of the plant.

The state has estimated a $24.4 billion impact over 20 years.

Project Liberty will consume 285,000 tons of biomass annually from a 45-mile radius of the plant.

Farmers remove about 1 ton of residue — or less than 25 percent — per acre.

Project Liberty will spend about $20 million annually purchasing biomass from area farmers, providing additional income to farmers.

Project Liberty will produce up to 25 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually.

The U.S. Department of Energy provided $100 million in grants for the project; Iowa provided $20 million; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture invested $2.6 million.