VeraSun Energy Corp. says it will delay the opening of two new ethanol plants - one in Minnesota and the other in Iowa.  VeraSun spokesman Mike Lockrem says the delay is prompted by market conditions, including the purchase price of corn and the selling price of ethanol.

The plant in Welcome, Minnesota, was scheduled to go online this month, but will be delayed until market conditions improve. The same goes for the company's plant in Hartley, Iowa.  Brookings, South Dakota-based VeraSun began construction on the Welcome plant in November 2006 after several years of planning. It is designed to be one of the largest of its kind in the United States, producing 110 million gallons of ethanol per year and processing 39 million bushels of corn annually.