| /s/ William J. Brennan, as Attorney-in-fact for Theodore H. Butz | 09/25/2008 |
| ** Signature of Reporting Person | Date |
| Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. |
| * If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v). |
| ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
|
| Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient,
see Instruction 6 for procedure. |
| Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number. |
Exhibit 24
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know
all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints
each of Ajay Sabherwal and William Brennan, as the undersigneds true and
lawful attorneys-in-fact to:
(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
undersigneds capacity as a reporting person pursuant to Section 16 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and the rules thereunder
of Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings, Inc. (the Company),
Forms 3, 4 and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange
Act;
(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any
such Form 3, 4 or 5 and timely file such form with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission and stock exchange or similar authority; and
(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection
with the foregoing which, in the opinion of any of such attorneys-in-fact, may
be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the
undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by any of such
attorneys-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of
Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as
any of such attorneys-in-fact may approve in the discretion of any of such
attorneys-in-fact.
The undersigned hereby
grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform
any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be
done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully
to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if personally
present, with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that any of such attorneys-in-fact, or the substitute or
substitutes of any of such attorneys-in-fact, shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming,
nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigneds responsibilities to
comply with Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
This Power of Attorney shall
remain in full force and effect until the undersigned is no longer required to
file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the undersigneds holdings of and
transactions in securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the
undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.