Sully County Voters Approve Ethanol Zoning

The people of Sully County, South Dakota have spoken loud and clear with last night’s election results showing overwhelming support for the zoning of the proposed Ring-Neck Energy ethanol plant to be built south of Onida.

According to KCCR radio in Pierre, Sully County residents submitted 530 yes votes to 142 nay votes. A 62% voter turnout according to the Susan Lamb, Sully County auditor.

The ethanol plant is expected to create 40 full-time jobs, consume 22 million bushels of local corn and produce 70 million gallons of clean-burning ethanol along with 200,000 metric tons of distillers grains aka high-protein livestock feed annually.

Walter Wendland, president and CEO of Ring-Neck Energy and Feed shared the communities’ excitement with the Pierre Capital Journal.

“We’ve already had people that have left the area call and enquire about job opportunities, to be able to come back to the Onida area,” he said. “That’s a great thing that the ethanol industry has done, is try to keep the people home or bring them back home.”

While there are more steps before construction begins, this vote sets the county on a path of long-term economic growth for generations to come.

Way to go Sully County!