An 80 million gallon a year ethanol plant is planned for northwest Oregon near the town of Clatskanie and adjacent to Pacific Gas and Electric's Beaver power plant. If built, the Cascade Grain plant would be the West Coast's largest ethanol facility.

The partners on the ethanol project include Enron, Delta T which will provide production technology, Foster Farms which will supply and mill the grain, Fagen which is the general contractor and Hartford Steam Boiler Insurance which will provide insurance and equity.

The plant will use a feedstock blend of 75 percent corn and 25 percent hard wheat a year. Nearly all of the 10-11 products from the plant - food grade fiber, carbon dioxide, wheat gluten, various wheat brans, flour, animal feed and ethanol - will be shipped by rail or barge.

Currently, Cascade Grain partners are securing a variety of permits or exemptions.