Ethanol, The Agriculture Success Story

The ethanol sector’s rapid ascent from a cottage industry to a robust source of renewable fuels has been called the greatest success story in modern agriculture. It’s easy to see why.

Ethanol is a significant market for U.S. corn, consuming more than 2.3 billion bushels in 2007 to produce 6.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel. But ethanol’s value goes far beyond its role as a major use of corn. Ethanol plants have helped rejuvenate rural communities across the country by creating high-paying jobs, boosting local tax revenues and creating partnership opportunities for local businesses. Additionally, ethanol helps the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and displacing the harmful additive MTBE from reformulated gasoline.

NCGA serves as a leading voice for ethanol on Capitol Hill and across the country. In addition to influencing energy policy, NCGA continues to educate consumers about the benefits of using ethanol.

There’s no question ethanol is here to stay. And as the industry continues to grow at a tremendous pace, NCGA will continue to enhance and expand opportunities for corn growers within this invaluable market.

More than Ethanol

Ethanol isn’t the only product manufactured by ethanol plants. A coproduct of the ethanol process is distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a high-protein, high-energy livestock feed. Though DDGS have long been fed to beef and dairy cattle, swine and poultry producers are beginning to see the value of including DDGS in their feed rations.

NCGA will continue to work with ethanol and feed industry leaders, livestock nutritionists and others to ensure ethanol producers continue to have a market for this valuable coproduct.

MORE INFORMATION ON COPRODUCTS

NCGA's Complete Position on Ethanol

NCGA Ethanol Position

Of Special Interest

LAND USE DEBATE
Wang-Haq Response to Sciencexpress Articles -PDF
Dale Response to Sciencexpress Articles - PDF
Morris Response to Sciencexpress Articles - PDF

THE FOOD VS. FUEL DEBATE
Food and Feed vs Fuel:Renewable Fuels Perspective
Texas A&M Study: Effects of Ethanol - PDF
Get the Facts on Food and Fuel - PDF
Informa Analysis of Potential Causes of Consumer Food Price Inflation - PDF
U.S. Corn Growers: Producing Food AND Fuel - PDF
Fuels versus Food or Rheteroric versus Reality - Analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation - PDF
The Relative Impact of Corn and Energy Prices in the Grocery Aisle - PDF
Understanding the Impact of Higher Corn Prices - PDF
NCGA Studies Mexican Corn Prices - PDF
How Much Ethanol Can Come From Corn? - PDF
NCGA Tells Senate Enough Corn for Food and Fuel - PDF

ETHANOL AND ENERGY POLICY ISSUES
Ethanol and Energy Bill Issue Brief - PDF
Thinking Clearly About Biofuels - PDF
Letter from Rep. Jerry Weller to President George W. Bush Support Ethanol Import Tariff - PDF
Letter by Sen. Durbin on Ethanol Supplies - PDF
Economic Impact of an 8 billion gallon RFS (RFA) - PDF
Impact of an 8 billion gallon RFS on poultry and livestock feed costs (RFA) - PDF
Ethanol Incentives vs. Petroleum Subsidies - PDF

ETHANOL ENERGY BALANCE
Ethanol Opinion —Beyond the Eighth Grade Level - PDF
Ethanol Can Contribute to Energy and Environmental Goals - PDF
USDA: The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update - PDF
Fossil Energy Use in the Manufacture of Corn Ethanol -- Dr. Michael Graboski - PDF
Allocation Procedure in Ethanol Production System from Corn Grain PDF
Grabowski Rebuttal to 2002 Pimentel Ethanol Net Energy Balance Study

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF ETHANOL PRODUCTION
Economic Impacts on the Farm Community of Cooperative Ownership of Ethanol Production - PDF
Contribution Of The Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States - PDF
Ethanol and the Local Community (Urbanchuk) - PDF
Contribution Of The Ethanol Industry To The American Economy In 2004 (Urbanchuk) - PDF

ETHANOL ECONOMICS AND FUEL MARKET ISSUES

Big Oil v. Ethanol: The Consumer Stake in Expanding the Production of Liquid Fuels -PDF Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights Study Shows Oil Profits, Not Ethanol, Are Driving Pump Price Spike - PDF
USDA’s 2002 Ethanol Cost-of-Production Survey - PDF
Over A Barrel: Why Aren’t Oil Companies Using Ethanol - PDF
2004 Gasoline Prices: An Analysis (RFA) - PDF

OTHER RESOURCES:
Ethanol: GET THE FACTS - PDF
Ethanol-based Aviation Fuel Brochure - PDF
Renewable Energy Entities
Distillers Grains Feeding Recommendations
Ethanolfacts.com