Commodities: Ethanol VeraSun Energy Bankruptcy

Ethanol as commodity continues to lose luster as VeraSun files for bankruptcy

The hugely misguided effort by the U.S. government to artificially produce an ethanol industry in America continues to flounder, with the latest casualty in the debacle being VeraSun Energy Corp., which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

VeraSun Energy, which accounts for close to 13 percent of the ethanol capacity in the country, is attempting to get $190 million to meet expenses, including payroll. Other needs to be met are buying of corn, leases, natural gas, among a number of others.

Standard & Poor's also lowered the long-term credit rating of the company on its senior secured notes - due in 2012 - from "B-" to "D." They're worth about $210 million. VeraSun has about $450 million in unsecured notes - due in 2017 - lowered from "CCC" to "D."

With profit margins of about zero, almost no credit markets, and terrible, speculative bets on commodities, the company has no chance at operating in its current condition. Another major factor was its irresponsible debt load, which also make it impossible to operate at a profit.

If oil prices stay low for any significant period of time, it's expected that many of the players in the dubious industry will fail as well.

While VeraSun is expected to continue operating at full capacity, thus not helping its competitors, who may have had the opportunity to take over the market share of the company, it has a huge uphill battle, as its changes of suriving, let alone turning a profit remain slim to none.

It remains to be seen if some of the larger competitors of VeraSun will be able to operate at similar losses. Some of the bigger companies are the privately held Poet LLC, along with agribusiness behemoth Archer Daniels Midland.

We should just put this ethanol nonsense to a rest in the U.S., and start drilling for more proven oil reserves in the U.S. and on its coasts, while looking to develop options that have real chances of being successful alternatives to and complements to traditional energy sources.

What a waste of time and money the pursuit of ethanol has been in the U.S.

Update: Judge approves VeraSun's rare bankruptcy financing

End the ethanol subsidy now, or we'll see more ethanol companies collapse, as it's an artificial, propped up commodity, not a real one.