According to a report out today from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), failure to extend the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) would reduce U.S. ethanol production capacity by 38% and eliminate 112,000 jobs in rural communities already hemorrhaging employment opportunities.

“Ethanol has provided an unparalleled, value-added opportunity for agriculture and rural America,” said RFA President Bob Dinneen. “Supporting nearly 400,000 jobs, America’s ethanol industry is building a strong foundation for a robust renewable fuels industry in this country. Failure to provide the kind of assurance investors require to continue building out this industry by extending the tax incentives would be shortsighted, relegating future generations to a reliance on both foreign oil and foreign renewable fuels.”

The RFA is advocating for a long term extension of VEETC, the Small Producers Tax Credit, the Cellulosic Ethanol Tax Credit, and the offsetting tariff on imports. According to the study “Importance of the VEETC to the U.S. Economy and the Ethanol industry,” failing to extend the tax incentive would idle an additional 4.56 billion gallons of production, based upon the 2010 expectation of 12 billion gallons of domestic ethanol production.

Listen to or download a special Ethanol Report interview with Bob Dinneen on the study here: