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 1.8 billion bushels in 2006 to produce 4.9 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
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 (June 2007)
The Relative Impact of Corn and Energy Prices in the Grocery Aisle - PDF (06-11-07)
Understanding the Impact of Higher Corn Prices - PDF (04-19-07)
NCGA Studies Mexican Corn Prices - PDF (03-21-07)
How Much Ethanol Can Come From Corn? - PDF (02-07)
NCGA Tells Senate Enough Corn for Food and Fuel - PDF (1-19-07)

ETHANOL AND ENERGY POLICY ISSUES
Ethanol and Energy Bill Issue Brief - PDF (1-22-08)
Thinking Clearly About Biofuels - PDF (2-07-07)
Letter from Rep. Jerry Weller to President George W. Bush Support Ethanol Import Tariff - PDF (5-10-06)
Letter by Sen. Durbin on Ethanol Supplies - PDF (5-10-06)
Economic Impact of an 8 billion gallon RFS (RFA) - PDF (5-23-05)
Impact of an 8 billion gallon RFS on poultry and livestock feed costs (RFA) - PDF (5-18-05)
Ethanol Incentives vs. Petroleum Subsidies - PDF (2000)

ETHANOL ENERGY BALANCE
Ethanol Opinion —Beyond the Eighth Grade Level - PDF (02-07)
Ethanol Can Contribute to Energy and Environmental Goals - PDF (1-27-06)
USDA: The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update - PDF (2004)
Fossil Energy Use in the Manufacture of Corn Ethanol -- Dr. Michael Graboski - PDF (8-02)
Allocation Procedure in Ethanol Production System from Corn Grain PDF (8-02)
Grabowski Rebuttal to 2002 Pimentel Ethanol Net Energy Balance Study (4-8-02)

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF ETHANOL PRODUCTION
Economic Impacts on the Farm Community of Cooperative Ownership of Ethanol Production - PDF (9-12-06)
Contribution Of The Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States - PDF (2-21-2006)
Ethanol and the Local Community (Urbanchuk) - PDF (06-02)
Contribution Of The Ethanol Industry To The American Economy In 2004 (Urbanchuk) - PDF (04-04)

ETHANOL ECONOMICS AND FUEL MARKET ISSUES

Big Oil v. Ethanol: The Consumer Stake in Expanding the Production of Liquid Fuels -PDF (August, 2007) Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights Study Shows Oil Profits, Not Ethanol, Are Driving Pump Price Spike - PDF (April, 2006)
USDA’s 2002 Ethanol Cost-of-Production Survey - PDF (07- 2005)
Over A Barrel: Why Aren’t Oil Companies Using Ethanol - PDF (5-5-05)
2004 Gasoline Prices: An Analysis (RFA) - PDF (04-27-04)

OTHER RESOURCES:
Ethanol: GET THE FACTS - PDF (6-28-07)
Ethanol-based Aviation Fuel Brochure - PDF (8-3-06)
Renewable Energy Entities
Ethanol Fact vs Fiction - PDF (11- 2005)
Distillers Grains Feeding Recommendations (11-2005)
Ethanolfacts.com