Ethanol and big/little business

With all the news buzzing about ethanol, hybrids, and other alternate fuel sources, it's easy to lose track of which company is announcing what or who is building the 'latest' answer to the fuel crisis. Financial incentives to power these technologies, with its dry charts, graphs, and percentages, are difficult enough to read in the best of times. Such information, though, is the lifeblood of industry and business columnist Steven Pealstein provides an entertaining summary on why ethanol is currently the alternative fuel golden child. Some of the incentives include:

• 51 cent federal tax incentive for every gallon of ethanol added to gasoline products. Simultaneously, refiners are forced to double ethanol numbers by 2012.

• Credit to "small" ethanol producers.

• Tax on imported ethanol.

• State subsidies.

Full details can be found at the link.