Suburban Chicago-based LanzaJet unveiled on Wednesday its Freedom Pines facility in rural Soperton, about halfway between Savannah and Macon, before an audience of more than 200 people including state and federal government leaders.

Ethanol — and a quirky crop — could pave the way for the Peach State.

Eighteen miles of I-85 could be an on-ramp to the future. The Ray C. Anderson Memorial Highway, or The Ray, stretches from West Point to LaGrange....