Range Fuels has been awarded a construction permit from the state of Georgia to build the first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in the United States.

According to the company, ground breaking will take place this summer in Treutlen County, Georgia for a 100-million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant that will use wood waste from Georgia’s forests as its feedstock. Phase 1 of the plant is scheduled to complete construction in 2008 with a production capacity of 20 million gallons a year.

“We are thrilled to receive this permit and anticipate the construction of many plants throughout Georgia and the Southeast using wood waste to make ethanol,” said Mitch Mandich, CEO of Range Fuels. “With Independence Day on July 4, we are excited to begin the march toward independence from our country’s reliance on fossil fuel.”

Range Fuels, which is privately held and funded by Khosla Ventures, announced plans to build the plant on February 7 of this year (see previous post and interview with Mitch Mandich.) The company was subsequently selected to negotiate for up to $76M in a grant from the Department of Energy on February 28 (see previous post.)