USDA released a study, "The Economic Feasibility of Ethanol Production From Sugar In The U.S.," which says producing ethanol from sugar would cost more than twice as much as producing ethanol from corn. The study estimates U.S. ethanol production costs (per gal.) at: corn wet milling -- $l.03; corn dry milling -- $1.05; sugar cane -- $2.40; sugar beets -- $2.35; raw sugar -- $3.48; and refined sugar -- $3.97. The report estimates Brazil's cost for ethanol from sugar cane is 81¢/gal.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C., correspondent