The December edition of “Ethanol Today” is a celebration of the biggest year yet for the ethanol industry.
The American Coalition for Ethanol publication provides a snapshot of the year in ethanol with some nice graphs and charts to show the industry’s growth.
Ethanol’s expansion in 2006 is an extension of a several-year growth trend. It took 20 years for the U.S. to grow its first billion gallons of ethanol capacity; since 2001, however, the industry has grown by an average 23 percent annually, adding more than three billion gallons of capacity in that time.
In terms of production, Iowa is way out front as 2006 draws to a close with over 1.5 billion gallons a year and Illinois is ranked second with about half that amount. However, that may change by this time next year as number 3 Nebraska has enough plants and expansions on the drawing board to more than double the state’s existing capacity and launch Nebraska to the position of the nation’s second largest ethanol producer.
The article also highlights the Indy Racing League switch to ethanol and pays tribute to ethanol advocate and Indy racer Paul Dana “the person who almost singlehandedly made this possible.”