MINA - Republican Gov. Mike Rounds says he believes people in South Dakota do not support ending the renewable fuels standard for ethanol as called for in the 2008 GOP platform.

"I believe in the ethanol program," Rounds said Thursday at the grand opening of the Glacial Lakes Energy ethanol plant west of Mina.

Rounds had just returned from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

The renewable fuel standard was expanded in the 2007 federal energy bill to require a total of 36 billion gallons of biofuels to be blended into gasoline by 2022.

Earlier this week, another top Republican, Sen. John Thune, called the platform plank a big mistake and "proof that Republicans are not always right."

In a section that talks about food versus fuel, the GOP platform says the "U.S. government should end mandates for ethanol and let the free market work."

In the energy section, the platform says the country "must continue to develop alternative fuels, such as biofuels, especially cellulosic ethanol, and hasten their technological advances to next-generation production."

Kristin Brekke of the American Coalition for Ethanol said the industry has faced challenges from grocery manufacturers to big oil.

"The facts are on our side, and the facts will prevail," Brekke said.

About 300 people attended the grand opening. The plant, which opened this summer, is designed to make 100 million gallons of ethanol a year.

It's operated by Watertown-based Glacial Lakes Energy, which also is involved with the Redfield Energy ethanol plant near Redfield.

Rounds congratulated the plant's investors.

"If you didn't believe in yourselves, then this never would've happened," he said.

Glacial Lakes Energy's chief executive officer, Tom Branhan, said his company is proud to be part of the community and the state.

"The employees that we have here are an … outstanding workforce," Branhan said.