Environmentally-friendly, American made ethanol is a win for all Americans.
Ethanol, a renewable fuel, has been blended in gasoline in the U.S. for over 40 years, helping improve air quality, reduce carbon and vehicle emissions, increase our energy independence, and lower fuel prices to consumers, while delivering performance.
We know Americans are looking for more competition and greater savings for the fuel that powers their vehicles. Nearly all U.S. gasoline today contains 10 percent ethanol, and the use of 15 percent ethanol blends (E15) and flex fuels like E85 is increasing. These quality fuels deliver the same if not better performance and cost savings. E15 is approved for use in more than 90 percent of existing vehicles in the U.S., and 9 out of 10 new cars carry the manufacturer’s warranty and approval for E15.
In 2022, more than 78,800 U.S. jobs were directly associated with the ethanol industry, with an additional 342,800 indirect and induced jobs supported across all sectors of the economy. The industry created $34.8 billion in household income and contributed just over $57 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product—the second-highest GDP contribution ever.
Ethanol and feed co-product production provide a valuable market for corn grown in the United States. A typical dry mill ethanol plant adds nearly $2 of additional value – or 55 percent – to every bushel of corn processed.
Ethanol reduces carbon emissions, removing the carbon equivalent of 12 million cars from the road each year. At the same time, the environmental impacts of producing ethanol have been greatly reduced. Natural gas and electricity use at dry mill ethanol plants has fallen nearly 40 percent since 1995, while consumptive water use has been cut in half. This has occurred while the amount of ethanol produced from a bushel has increased. Producers are getting 15 percent more ethanol from a bushel of corn than 20 years ago. The result? A smaller carbon footprint and an increase in energy efficiency. Ethanol use reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 44-52 percent compared to gasoline–even when hypothetical land-use change emissions are included. By displacing hydrocarbon substances like aromatics in gasoline, ethanol also helps reduce emissions of air toxics, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and exhaust hydrocarbons.
It’s more affordable than traditional gasoline, reduces harmful vehicle emissions, supports American jobs, and protects America’s energy independence. In 2022, ethanol helped protect America’s energy independence by displacing over 600 million barrels of crude oil.
Ethanol biorefineries make more than fuel; they also generate highly nutritious animal feed like distillers grains. One-third of every bushel processed by a plant is used to make animal feed. The low cost and nutritional properties of distillers grains make it one of the most sought-after feed ingredients in the world.
