CHANCELLOR, S.D.(KELO)- The POET ethanol plant in Chancellor is riding high on a low score.

Its C-I, or Carbon Intensity score, is among the best in the industry.

The reason…high natural gas prices when the plant was built caused the company to look for an alternative energy source to fuel the process.

Plant General Manager Tom Pierson.

Pierson says that quirk of fate turned out to be a great blessing down the road.

Now, in the era of comparing Carbon Intensity scores, using wood chips intead of natural gas gives the plant a lower C-I score.

The lower score gives the company access to big markets in California and the Pacific Northwest…which pay a premium for their product.

The ethanol industry is in a race…with producers working to get the lowest Carbon Intensity score.

In that race, POET’s plant in Chancellor is among the lowest.

Using woodchips instead of natural gas or electricity to generate steam for the ethanol process is one of the reasons for that low score.

Plant General manager Tom Pierson says another reason is an arrangement with the Sioux Falls Sanitary Landfill, which is a short distance away.

The landfill gas is used to help fire the wood chips in the plant’s solid fuel boiler system.

It all works together to lower the Carbon Intensity score…which is the ticket to lucrative markets in California and the Pacific Northwest.

It’s all about the C-I score.

That stands for Carbon Intensity, and in the ethanol industry it’s criticial to have a low score to gain access to lucrative markets in California and elsewhere.

right now, POET’s ethanol plant in Chancellor has an advantage with a low score.

Plant General Manager Tom Pierson says that’s due to using wood chips to fire the plant instead of natural gas or electricity.

In the process, he says nothing is wasted.

Truck after truck…farmers delivering corn to the POET ethanol plant in Chancellor.  At least a hundred loads a day.

That’s what it takes for the plant to supply ethanol to lucrative markets in California and the Pacific northwest.

Plant General manager Tom Pierson says the plant has access to those markets because of a low Carbon Intensity, or C-I score.

He says without a proposed carbon capture pipeline to drive that score even lower will mean the loss of those markets.

Earlier this week, POET agreed to terms with Summit Carbon Solutions.