To celebrate ethanol and all renewable fuels, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman will declare September Renewable Fuels Month at Husker Harvest Days on Wednesday, September 10.
Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, says the economic impact of ethanol on rural communities in Nebraska and many other areas of the nation has been significant.
“Ethanol has brought thousands of jobs to mostly rural Nebraska, which creates wealth that flows into rural communities,” Sneller said. “Nebraska ethanol production is more than a $4 billion industry – and it’s getting bigger each year.”
Sneller estimated that by the end of next year, four expansion projects at existing plants and five new projects under construction will add 816 million gallons of capacity, bringing the state’s total ethanol capacity to some 2.4 billion gallons.
A 2008 study by LECG LLC reported that an average 100 million gallon ethanol plant directly employs 50 people and supports hundreds of additional jobs locally and across the country. The plant also buys more than $100 million in goods and services, mostly from the local area, and increases household income some $77 million.
At the Husker Harvest Days event on Wednesday, Governor Heineman will make a few remarks, as will members of Nebraska commodity organizations, including the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Soybean Board.
The 
The alliance was formed in July and includes Archer Daniels Midland, DuPont, John Deere, Monsanto, and the Renewable Fuels Association. ADM Vice President for Government Relations Greg Webb says because government formulates food and energy policy, it is important that they be well informed. “We think that the alliance will help educate and draw attention to agriculture’s capability to produce and meet increasing demands,” Webb said. “A lot of folks are seeing the increased demand for food, feed, fiber and fuel and they kind of freeze the production capability in time and think that we’ll never produce another pound more than what we do now.”
USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr, who held a public meeting last week to work on implementing renewable energy programs authorized under the farm bill, says the rapid commercialization of renewable energy is a high priority. 
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Regulators on New York’s state Public Service Commission have voted unanimously to approve the buyout of Energy East by Spain-based world energy company Iberdrola for $4.6 billion.