VeraSun Energy Corporation, the nation’s second largest ethanol producer, has begun construction on its newest 110-million-gallon-per-year ethanol production facility near Hartley, Iowa. The plant is on schedule to begin production in the first quarter of 2008. (Read full release)

US BioEnergy Corporation has set the terms of its pending initial public offering at 9.4 million common shares with an estimated, per-share price range of $15-$17. US BioEnergy’s will be the third IPO by an ethanol producer this year, after VeraSun Energy Corp. and Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings Inc. (Read AP story)

The company has also acquired options to purchase land near Altamont, Ill. as a possible location for a 100 million gallon per year ethanol plant. (Read more here)

Broin Companies, the nation’s largest dry mill ethanol producer, will celebrate the grand opening of Prairie Ethanol on Dec. 2 at the plant site near Loomis, S.D. The event will begin with the Vanguard Squadron, the world’s only 100 percent ethanol-powered aerobatic fleet, performing a series of fly-overs. (Read more from Broin)