NECEDAH— The Castle Rock Renewable Fuels ethanol plant in Necedah had its official grand opening Friday after 14 months of preparation.

“I have been looking forward to this day for a long time,” plant manager Bernie Hoffman said.

The plant actually began producing ethanol Feb. 2 and is running efficiently, above capacity and under budget, Hoffman said, adding “that is something to be proud of.”

During the grand opening ceremony, Hoffman said home-grown renewable energy now is needed more than ever.

“It’s important to keep battling until we do something about Wisconsin’s dependence on foreign fuels,” said state Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center.

He added the ethanol plant has created a market for corn in Juneau County that previously did not exist.

Hoffman said the Castle Rock plant will grind more than 20 million bushels of corn per year, which equals about 56 bushels per day.

The corn used at the plant will be purchased within a 70-mile radius, Hoffman said.

Since the plant has been operating in early February, Hoffman said, they have shipped ethanol to Milwaukee, Green Bay and Madison in Wisconsin, plus Chicago, Tampa, Fla., and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. About 55 million gallons of ethanol will be produced and shipped each year, Hoffman said.