CARLISLE, S.C. (AP)- South Carolina's first ethanol plant will be located in Union County.

Local and state officials told The Union Daily Times on Tuesday that Osage Bio Energy of in Roanoke, Va., will build a $161 million plant near Carlisle and hire 75 workers to make barley-based ethanol.

The plant will be next to Carlisle Finishing, whose president James Payne pushed hard to convince the company to come to Union
County, which is frequently in the top ten in unemployment.

Payne says the county is negotiating to get water and sewage to the plant site.

Officials say the plant uses barley to make ethanol because it grows in winter and doesn't compete with food crops. Farmers could still grow crops like soybeans in the summer.

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