In Nebraska, Nebraska’s ethanol production capacity has grown tenfold between 1995 and 2014 and has a positive impact on Nebraska’s economy over the last five years, according to a recent impact study by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As of June 2014, Nebraska’s production capacity was 2,077 million gallons per year with 1,301 full-time employees at 24 facilities. During the past five years, Nebraska’s value of production for ethanol and dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) ranged from slightly less than $4 billion to more than $6.6 billion.
“The quantifiable economic impact of ethanol production on the Nebraska economy is clear,” said Paul Kenney, chairman of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. “But we should also understand the enormous savings in health and environmental costs associated with displacing toxic petroleum products with cleaner burning biofuels like ethanol. Choosing ethanol fuels brings additional cost savings in terms of our health.”
The study noted that Nebraska’s ethanol industry could be affected by emerging trends and at least four are worth watching – the recovery of carbon dioxide (CO2), the extraction of corn oil, and world export markets for both ethanol and DDGS. Many of these upcoming trends will be discussed later this week during the annual Ethanol 2015: Emerging Issues Forum in Omaha April 16-17.
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