**Exhibit 10.16**PROMISSORY NOTE   $29,000,000 November 30, 2006  Pelham, Georgia     FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned borrower, FIRST UNITED ETHANOL, LLC (the “Borrower”),promises to pay to the order of the Mitchell County Development Authority (the “Lender”) theprincipal sum of TWENTY NINE MILLION AND 00/100THS DOLLARS ($29,000,000) and to pay interest on theunpaid balance of such principal sum, as hereinafter provided, until the payment of such principalsum has been made or provided for.     The Note has been executed and delivered by the Borrower to the Lender and assigned to WellsFargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”) pursuant to the Loan Agreement (the“Agreement”), dated as of October 1, 2006, between the Lender and the Borrower. Under theAgreement, the Lender has loaned to the Borrower the proceeds received from the sale of theLender’s $29,000,000 Variable Rate Demand Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds (First United Ethanol,LLC Project), Series 2006, initially dated the date of their authentication and delivery (the“Bonds”), to assist the Borrower in the financing of the Project (as defined in the Agreement),which Project is to be owned and operated by the Borrower, or its successors or assigns. TheBorrower has agreed (i) to repay the loan of the proceeds of the Bonds by making payments (the“Loan Payments”) and (ii) to make the Additional Payments (as defined in the Indenture) at thetimes and in the amounts set forth in this Note. The Bonds have been issued, concurrently with theexecution and delivery of this Note, pursuant to, and are secured by, the Trust Indenture (asamended and supplemented from time to time, the “Indenture”), dated as of October 1, 2006, betweenthe Lender and the Trustee. The Bonds bear interest from their date at the Applicable Rate, asdefined in Appendix A to this Note, payable on each Interest Payment Date (as defined in theIndenture), and mature on October 1, 2026.     To provide funds to pay the interest on the Bonds as and when due, the Borrower hereby agreesto and shall make payments of interest on this Note to the Trustee on the first Business Day priorto the first day of each January, April, July and October commencing on the first Business Dayprior to the first day of January 2007, in an amount equal to the amount payable as interest on theBonds on the next Interest Payment Date; provided, however, that with respect to such firstinterest payment, the Borrower shall receive a credit against such interest payment equal to theamount, if any, of money in the Bond Fund (as defined in the Indenture) representing the Bond FundPayment (as defined in the Indenture).     If payment or provision for payment in accordance with the Indenture is made in respect of theprincipal of and redemption premium, if any, and interest on the Bonds, this Note shall be deemedpaid to the extent of such payment or provision for payment of Bonds. The Borrower shall receive acredit against its obligation to make Loan Payments hereunder to the extent that there are amountsalready on deposit in the Bond Fund created by the Indenture (except for moneys drawn on the Letterof Credit or the Confirming Letter of Credit), and available to pay principal or purchase price ofand premium, if any, and interest on the Bonds pursuant to the Indenture, and to the extent thatLoan Payments are made by the Borrower directly to the Bank pursuant to the Agreement. Subject tothe foregoing, all Loan Payments and Additional Payments shall be in the full amount requiredhereunder and under the terms of the Agreement.     All Loan Payments shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America and shallbe made to the Trustee at its principal corporate trust office for the account of the Lender anddeposited in the Bond Fund created by the Indenture. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture,the Loan Payments shall be used by the Trustee to pay the principal of and redemption premium, ifany, and
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interest on the Bonds as and when due or to reimburse the Bank for unreimbursed draws underthe Letter of Credit (as such terms are defined in the Indenture).     The obligation of the Borrower to make the payments required hereunder shall be absolute andunconditional and the Borrower shall make such payments without abatement, diminution or deductionregardless of any cause or circumstances whatsoever including, without limitation, any defense,set-off, recoupment or counterclaim which the Borrower may have or assert against the Lender, theTrustee, the Bank or the Remarketing Agent (as defined in the Indenture) or any other person.     This Note is subject to optional, extraordinary optional and mandatory prepayment uponthe same terms and conditions, on the same date or dates and at the same prepayment prices, as theBonds are subject to optional, extraordinary optional and mandatory redemption, and the Borrowerhereby agrees that it will make Loan Payments hereunder in an amount equal to the principal of andpremium, if any, and interest on the Bonds due and payable on any such redemption date. Alloptional prepayments of amounts due under this Note are subject to the requirement that theBorrower deposit sufficient moneys with the Bank in accordance with 2.1 of the Agreement prior tothe Borrower giving notice of its intention to so prepay pursuant to Section 8.4 of the Agreement.Any such redemption prior to stated maturity is subject to the obligation of the Borrower to givethe Lender and the Trustee sufficient notice of such redemption as shall enable the Lender and theTrustee to take all action necessary under the Indenture to redeem on the date specified forprepayment a like principal amount of Bonds at the same redemption price.
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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Borrower has caused this Note to be executed in its name by its dulyauthorized representative as of the date first written above.      FIRST UNITED ETHANOL, LLC,