The Elite Octane ethanol plant in Atlantic will see annual savings of $1.2 million by installing a new dryer exhaust energy recovery system, which is expected to be online in early December, CEO Nick Bowdish said last week.

The dry mill ethanol plant re­ceived a $250,000 USDA Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) grant to install the system, which will replace 89 million kilowatt hours of energy per year — enough electricity to power nearly 6,000 homes — by capturing and reusing energy from the...