An ag economist says declining cheese and butter prices continue to make U.S. products more...
Source: Renewable Fuels Association
The ethanol industry strongly contributed to the U.S. economy last year, as record-setting production and exports supported hundreds of thousands of jobs and generated tens of billions of dollars in gross domestic product and household income, according to an analysis released by the Renewable Fuels Association.
In 2025, the industry directly supported 79,000 U.S. jobs, along with an additional 237,000 indirect and induced jobs across all sectors of the economy. The industry created $28 billion in household income, contributed $50 billion to the nation's gross domestic product, and generated nearly $10 billion in tax revenues at the federal, state and local levels. The report also calculates that the industry spent $24 billion on 5.5 billion bushels of corn and grain sorghum alone, as the industry continued to support America's farming communities.
"As this analysis shows, American-made ethanol remains an important part of the nation's economy, supporting good-paying jobs--many in rural areas--while providing consumers with cleaner, lower-cost fuel options," said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. "At a time when American farmers are facing challenging financial conditions, the ethanol industry continued to serve as a crucial economic driver in agricultural communities across the country. With 2026 now well underway, our nation's hard-working ethanol producers are looking forward to the new market opportunities that lie ahead, and that will ensure we remain the world's dominant supplier of renewable fuels."
The report concludes: "Ethanol has benefits beyond the economy, including enhancing America's energy security and cutting emissions of greenhouse gases and tailpipe pollutants. And the industry's economic and other benefits can grow further, if midlevel blends such as E15 are allowed to be sold year-round, export markets continue to be opened, and new uses, such as in marine and aviation fuel, are developed."
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Organizations such as the Renewable Fuels Association will often measure their economic and social impact with studies of this nature. It is always encouraging to realize just how influential a sector like ethanol can be in the overall economy. It obviously generates tens of thousands of jobs that in turn provide good incomes to families around the nation. But it is always important to remember that none of this would be possible without farmers doing what they do every day.
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