Marquis backs out of planned $500 million Illinois ethanol plant citing pending legislation

In Illinois, local press reports that Marquis Inc. has pulled the plug on its planned $500 million ethanol plant in Scott County ahead of a deadline at the end of the month to release its options on 800 acres of land for the project. In a press release, the company’s CEO reported said that pending legislation at the state level will boost project development costs to the point of making the facility’s ROI inviable. Which legislation was impacting the project’s development was not cited. The company also pointed to international trade policies that have dampened demand for US ethanol imports.