US Sugar Corporation
The US Sugar Corporation is a large privately owned agricultural business based in Clewiston, Florida. The company farms over 187,858 acres of land in the counties of Hendry, Glades and Palm Beach. It is the largest producer of sugar cane in the United States, producing over 700,000 tonnes per year. The company is also a large producer of refined sugar and oranges.
On 24 June 2008, Florida's Governor, Charlie Crist, announced the state was in negotiations to buy 187,000 acres (760 km2) of land and all of its manufacturing and production facilities for an estimated $1.7 billion from the company as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Under the proposals, the company would continue to farm the land for the next six years and convert the land back to its original natural marshland state. In November 2008, the agreement was revised to offer $1.34 billion, allowing sugar mills in Clewiston to remain in production. Critics of the revised plan say that it ensures sugarcane will be grown in the Everglades for at least another decade.
In October 2010 the company sold 26,800 acres of land to the South Florida Water Management District for the "River of Grass" Restoration Project.
In an effort to power its facilities with renewable resources, the U.S. Sugar Corporation began using resources such as sugar cane bagasse for its Breakthrough Project, in which Boiler 8 was built. Boiler 8 produces steam during the milling process by burning bagasse. Steam is co-generated into electricity on-site. In essence, each year’s cane crop provides power for both the sugar factory and U.S. Sugar’s refinery operations.
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