According to a new Department of Energy (DOE) report, the military veteran workforce in the ethanol industry is triple the rate seen in the national workforce average and higher than the petroleum fuels and general energy workforce. According to the DOE report, veterans make up 15% of the corn ethanol fuels workforce, which is higher than the 9% energy workforce average.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper, himself an Army veteran and part of the RFA staff’s 20% veteran workforce, said, “The ethanol industry’s values and priorities, focused on American-made products that provide energy independence, align extremely well with those of our women and men in uniform, so it’s no surprise that we are attractive to veterans seeking employment. Military veterans know that they can continue to protect their fellow Americans and serve their country by producing a homegrown, cleaner, greener, and more affordable renewable fuel.”

Cooper also noted that the DOE report underscores that progress is being made toward the industry goals of greater diversity, with women accounting for 31% of the ethanol industry workforce, well above the 26% average across all energy sectors. The ethanol industry also hires more older workers, with 23% of its workforce aged 55 or older, compared to 18% for the petroleum fuels industry and 17% across the energy sector.

The portion of the ethanol industry workforce made up of Hispanic or Latino workers has grown from 9% in 2018 to 11% in 2022, while the share comprised of Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander workers has doubled from 1% to 2%. The shares of workers identifying as Black or African American has grown by two percentage points since last year, from 5% to 7%, and American Indian or Alaska Native (1%), Asian (6%), Black or African American (5%), and two or more races (5%) have held relatively steady.

Workers with disabilities comprise 4% of the ethanol industry workforce, double the average across all energy sectors and on par with the national average.