E85 Inc. is a name that has been popping up in cities from New Jersey to New Mexico – a company that reportedly “plans to build a billion-dollar string of ethanol plants.”

The Seattle Times did some research to find out who is behind the company and what they hope to accomplish.

Mark Dassel, E85’s senior vice president, says there’s no real mystery — he and a skeleton staff have simply been too busy to answer inquiries: “This is a 7-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day job.”

Skimping on details, he lays out an exceedingly ambitious agenda: E85 plans to quickly put up 10 ethanol plants costing about $150 million each. Together these will produce more than 1 billion gallons of ethanol annually; the company will buy an additional 1 to 2 billion gallons from other plants, he says.

Dassel contends E85’s rapid, cookie-cutter approach means “we’re going to be the low-cost producer” when a shakeout comes.

E85 Inc. is also planning plants in Michican, Ohio and North Carolina.