Dozens of rural communities are being revitalized by the economic impact of ethanol production and increased farm income. The ethanol industry has added tens of thousands of new jobs to the economy, generated billions of dollars in tax revenue and capital investment—and created opportunities for entrepreneurship and the return of young people to rural communities.

Higher corn prices have increased farm income, which translates into reduced farm program payments (saving tax dollars for all Americans), increased farm spending (generating income for all sectors of the economy) and debt retirement and increased net worth for farmers (strengthening sustainability of rural communities).

According to a recent study, the production of ethanolgenerated
economic activity put an additional $6.7 billion in the pockets of American consumers. Additionally, the operation and construction of ethanol plants led to $2.7 billion in tax revenue for the federal government and another $2.2 billion for state and local governments.

Compare these benefits with the negative impact of writing billions of dollars in checks to foreign nations for barrels of oil—money going out of the country that could be invested here at home.